A Simple Wish
by Gogirl
Summary: After accidentally making a wish to Shenron on Christmas Eve, Chi-Chi gets a glimpse of what Goku's life would be like without her. RR
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z.

Author's Note: Okay, before we get started, let me just say that this is my first multi-chapter G/CC fic. I'm really, really nervous but I'm anxious to finally get this story out; it's been on my mind for quite a long time… Anyway, I was watching Dragonball one day, and the memory of the movie _It's A Wonderful Life_ just popped into my head. I began wondering what Goku's life would have been like without Chi-Chi. Despite what a lot of DBZ fans think, I think that Chi-Chi made a big difference in Goku's life, and she _does _matter to him. After all, all of us G/CC fans have seen more than enough episodes that prove it. So, a plot bunny came into my head after thinking about this, and this is the result. I hope none of the characters are OOC so far…

On an added note, I don't know whether Christmas exists in the DBZ universe, but it will in this fic, and I hope that doesn't bother any of you. Please read and review. And since I've never done this before, I'll start replying to them in the next chapter. Enough of my long note; enjoy the story!

A Simple Wish

Part One

_It wasn't supposed to be this way, _Chi-Chi thought bitterly. _It was supposed to be the whole family together again for Christmas…_

Normally on Christmas Eve, she would have been inside her house, happily decorating the tree with her family and cooked a big meal for all of them. Bigger than the usual meals she cooked, and that was saying something, considering the huge appetites of her sons and husband.

Instead, she was taking a long, lonely walk in the woods nearby her house. It was a cold, windy evening, not to mention that it was snowing, but it seemed better than sitting all alone in the living room.

Chi-Chi kicked the snow angrily. This Christmas was supposed to be a special one, for it was the first one in a long time that her family was together again for the holidays… 

Only a few months ago, Goku had been brought back to life after seven years of being dead. Seven years… it almost felt like an eternity to Chi-Chi. Christmas had never been the same without him. Of course, she had Gohan and Goten to keep her company, and she loved her sons dearly, but she still needed her husband in her life.

So she had been in a good mood that day. At least that's how it started out…

_Chi-Chi was in the living room, preparing to decorate the tree with ornaments she had retrieved from the attic. The family always decorated the tree on Christmas Eve; it was something of a tradition among them. All she had to do was wait for Goku and Goten to come home, and then they could get started…_

Gohan came downstairs, dressed in a suit and tie. Chi-Chi looked at her oldest son in surprise. "Well, don't you look handsome," she commented happily. "But you didn't have to dress so fancy… after all, it's just the family tonight, isn't it?"

Gohan looked uncomfortable. "Oh --- Mom, I guess I forgot to tell you… Videl invited me over to a Christmas party at her house. Is it all right if I go?"

"What?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, shocked. "Gohan, it's Christmas Eve! We always spend it as a family! And your father's home for the first time in years!"

"I know that," Gohan said, looking sorry, "but Christmas is tomorrow… we could all spend the day together then…"

"Why can't Videl just come over here?" Chi-Chi protested. "She's more than welcome too… after all, she may be part of our family someday…"

Gohan flushed. "Mom, we're only dating, it's not like we're engaged. Besides, Videl's mom is at the party. She can only visit her tonight…and Videl really wants me to meet her mother. It's only one night; I can make it up to you tomorrow!"

Chi-Chi let out a sigh. "All right," she said grudgingly. "If it really means that much to her, then you can go."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be home early, I promise!" He turned to leave.

"By the way," Chi-Chi asked suddenly, "do you where Goten and your father are?"

"Goten's out playing with Trunks," he replied. "I don't really know where Dad is, but I'm sure he'll be home soon. Bye, Mom." He walked out the door and flew off.

Chi-Chi sighed sadly. Ever since Majin Buu was destroyed, Gohan had certainly been spending a lot of time with Videl, whether they were working together as Saiyaman and Saiyagirl or going out on dates…

She liked Videl; she was a nice girl a strong fighter… yet she couldn't help feeling slightly resentful that she was taking her son away from her.

There was no getting around it: Gohan was grown up now. He was no longer her little boy, and pretty soon he wouldn't need her anymore.

Chi-Chi sat down on the couch. **Oh well, **she thought. **Goku and Goten will still be here tonight. **She smiled to herself. Maybe if Goku got home before Goten did, they'd get a chance to spend some time alone together…

An hour later, neither Goku nor Goten returned home. Chi-Chi was starting to grow impatient.

****

What's keeping him? she wondered. **Maybe he's at Capsule Corp. or at Master Roshi's house. Chances are, one of them is having a party… he probably stopped there to say hello. It is Christmas, after all. They'll be home soon, I know they will. They wouldn't miss Christmas Eve…**

Another hour passed. Chi-Chi was now both angry and worried. What if something happened to them? She still remembered when Goku took four-year old Gohan to visit Master Roshi and his friends years ago… and didn't return all night. It was until the next day that she found out that Goku was dead and Gohan had been kidnapped…

****

No, Chi-Chi thought, shaking her head. **That can't happen again. **She went to the phone. **Maybe I should call Master Roshi and Bulma… just to make sure they're okay…**

"Goten left about an hour ago with Trunks," Bulma had told her. "I think they might be out sparring again. But I haven't seen Goku at all."

Krillin had answered the phone at Master Roshi's house. "Sorry, Chi-Chi, I haven't seen Goku either. I'm sure he'll be home soon though."

"Oh, for Kami's sake!" Chi-Chi fumed, slamming the phone down on the receiver. "I bet they're out sparring again! And on Christmas Eve!" She glared at the clock. "Well, they'd better be home soon or they're in big trouble!"

By the time a half-hour passed and neither of them were home, Chi-Chi had enough. "I don't **believe **this!" she muttered furiously. "Oooh! I need to go get some fresh air. With that she grabbed her coat, threw it on, and stormed out the door.

That had been quite a while ago. She'd spent at least an hour walking in the woods, stewing and seething. The mere memory of it hurt her. First Gohan left her to go to a party, and then Goten and Goku didn't come home at all!

This was typical behavior, especially for Goku. Still, even he had always been for home Christmas before --- well, except for the time when he first died and when he had been on Yardat. He loved Christmas, it was one of the only times when he stopped training and spent time with his family. Naïve as he was, he'd known how important Christmas was to her.

In fact, during the seven-year period he was dead, Christmas had been one of the days that she had missed him the most. 

She knew that Goku often left because he had to save the world. He was a Saiyan warrior. Fighting was in his blood and a big part of her had begun to understand that, especially when he was dead. That was why she trained Goten…

Chi-Chi loved Goku dearly and she knew that he loved her back, even if he didn't say it aloud. Deep down, she knew that he never meant to hurt her by leaving. But she still couldn't help feeling somewhat neglected by his absences. 

Sometimes, although she felt ashamed to admit it, she couldn't help but wonder if Goku would be happier without her. No one would yell or nag him… he could train for however long he wanted, and no one would stand in his way.

***

Goku knew he was in trouble the minute he returned home. He hadn't meant to be back so late, but he'd completely lost track of time while he'd been out. 

For once, he hadn't been out training. He'd been looking forward to his Christmas back with his family. There had been one minor, important thing he'd forgotten do to, and he hadn't remembered it until earlier that day…

He'd forgotten to get Chi-Chi a Christmas present.

In a desperate attempt to fix the situation, he quickly flew out to West City to find something nice to get her. But it was Christmas Eve; all the stores had been so packed with people that he could hardly get into any of the stores.

Besides, not only did he not have a lot of money; he also didn't know what exactly to give her. He hadto give her _something_. After all, she was his wife and he loved her very much… she deserved something special…

Then he'd gotten the perfect idea for a gift… only it took so long for him to get everything he needed…

Now it was well into night. Even if Chi-Chi liked the gift, she was still going to be really mad at him for being home so late. And Christmas Eve, of all nights…

Cautiously, he entered the house. "Hello?" he called out. "Chi-Chi? Gohan? Goten? Anybody home?"

The house was completely deserted. _Where is everybody? _Goku wondered, going into the living room. What he saw there made him feel even worse. Boxes of decorations had been set next to an undecorated tree. 

He slapped his head. "Oh no, I completely forgot!" he muttered. "We were all supposed to decorate the tree together. Man, I feel like a heel. Chi-Chi probably wants to kill me right now…"

He felt Gohan's ki approach the house. A moment later, Gohan himself came inside, covered in snow.

"Hey, Gohan," Goku said to his son. "Where've you been?"

"A Christmas party at Videl's house," Gohan replied. He looked around. "Where's Goten? Shouldn't he have been back by now?"

Goku shrugged. "I don't know. I just back myself. Where's your mother?"

Gohan suddenly looked guilty. "She's was at home when I left… she was really disappointed that I wasn't going to stay home for Christmas Eve." He stared at the bare tree in front of them. "She must have got tired of waiting for us to come home, huh, Dad?"

Goku sighed sadly. "I didn't mean to be out this late. I really let her down this time…" He looked out the window. "I think she went out for a walk. I'd better go find out and her... and Goten too."

"Goten loves Christmas," Gohan said thoughtfully. "I wonder why he never home…"

Just then, Goku sensed a tremendous ki emerge. "Gohan, do you feel that?" he asked, alarmed.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah…" He looked out the window. The sky had changed from dark blue to pitch black. From a short distance away, he could see a bright light in the woods, shining above the trees. "I think Shenron is being summoned."

"Someone must have gathered the dragon balls," Goku said, thinking hard. "But who?"

They looked at each other. "You don't that Goten and Trunks ---?" Gohan started to ask.

"I don't know," Goku replied, "but I'm going to find out. You stay here in case your mother comes back while I'm gone. I'll use Instant Transmission, it'll get me there faster." He put two fingers to his head, concentrated on the Eternal Dragon's ki, and vanished.

***

"You have disturbed my slumber," Shenron thundered. "Name your wish!"

Goten looked at Trunks uncertainly. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked. "I hope we don't get in trouble for this."

Since it was Christmas, Trunks thought that it would be fun to use the dragon balls to wish for an early present. Trunks's mother already had gathered four of the dragon balls, so all Trunks had to do was take the four balls and the dragon radar to find the remaining three. It only took them about two hours to find the others.

Goten knew that his mom would be mad that he was out this late, but the promise of adventure was too tempting for him. Trunks could convince him to do anything.

Goten's stomach growled. "Trunks, I'm hungry," he complained. "Maybe I should go home. Momma always makes yummy food for Christmas…"

"If you're so hungry, you can use your wish to get food," Trunks retorted. 

"Well, what are you going to wish for?" Goten asked innocently. "Candy? Toys?"

Trunks snorted. "That's kid's stuff, Goten! I'll think of something good…"

"You try my patience!" Shenron roared. "Make your wish!"

Meanwhile, Chi-Chi was approaching towards the spot where the two little boys were. She was too lost in her own thoughts to even notice what was going on.

The more she thought of it, the more upset she became. "All I wanted was for my family to be all together for just one night," she grumbled to herself. "Is that so much to ask? 

__

"I mean, I wonder if I even matter to them at all… I cook and clean and pretty much do everything for them… but Goku was living by himself long before I even met him. He can take care of himself…

"Maybe all I am is a burden," she thought aloud sadly. "And to Gohan and Goten too. I always got in the way of their training and fun… Am I that much of an inconvenience to them?"

Trunks saw Chi-Chi coming towards them. "Uh-oh. Hey, Goten, isn't that your mom over there?"

Goten turned around. "What? Mom, what are you doing here?" he called out.

Chi-Chi didn't hear him. "_Honestly_," she said angrily, unaware that her voice was getting louder with every word, "it's enough to make me wish that I was never born!"

Unfortunately, the dragon had heard her. His eyes flashed bright red. "It is done," he boomed.

Chi-Chi looked up and saw Shenron before her, glowing brightly. Everything around her was illuminated in the light from the dragon… including herself. Soon the light become so bright that she was unable to see anything.

"What's going on?" she gasped.

The last thing she heard before the light dissolved into darkness was Goten screaming her name.

To be continued…

__


	2. Part 2

Part Two

_Something isn't right on Earth, _Baba thought worriedly.

Even when she hadn't been asked to foretell the future of the universe, Baba usually looked into her crystal ball, just to see how various planets were doing --- Earth in particular, just to check on Goku and the other fighters who lived there. She wasn't expecting to see any new threat on Earth this time. It was Christmas Eve, after all. What kind of dreadful thing could happen on Christmas Eve? 

When she had looked into her ball, all she could see was that the Eternal Dragon had been summoned. She didn't know who had summoned it, but whoever it was made a big wish…

The wish must have been a powerful one, for it caused her ball to go on the fritz for quite some time. When it could work again, Earth was different. Something had happened that had changed its history.

__

I'd better go to King Yemma, Baba thought. She hopped onto her crystal ball and floated to Other World. _Maybe he can tell me what's going on._

"The dragon balls were used to change history?" King Yemma asked her as soon as she arrived at the check-in station and informed him what she had seen. He frowned. "That is serious. Matters of time are not to be meddled with. Any idea what kind of wish was made?"

Baba shook her head.

"Then you should go to Earth," King Yemma ordered. "Warn Goku of what has happened… he can figure out what's going on."

"I'm afraid that he won't be able to help this time," a voice behind them said gravely. "He's also been affected by the wish."

Baba turned around and gasped. The old man standing before her was one she knew well… she had brought him to Earth for a day many years ago. In life he had been a formidable fighter; she had chosen him to be one of the warriors who had battled people seeking her fortune telling abilities…

"W-What are you doing here?" she stammered, shocked. "I thought you were working for Tajoro! And how do you know what's going on?

"Oh, she lets me to check on Earth to see how Goku is doing," the man replied. "She allowed me to come because of service to her in the afterlife…" 

He turned to King Yemma. "I think I can help fix this situation, if you'll bring me back to life temporarily."

"What makes you so sure you can fix this?" King Yemma asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"You can trust him, King Yemma," Baba said, coming to the defense of the old man. "If the wish has affected Goku, he of all people should help him."

"Well… all right," King Yemma said reluctantly. "But I warn you, it might be more than you can handle… time and history are forces should never be messed with --- even with the dragon balls." He paused. "And there's a chance that Shenron won't be able to reverse the wish."

***

Chi-Chi awakened to find herself lying in the snow. She groggily sat up. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was Shenron saying that he had granted a wish. And then… nothing.

Slowly, she got to her feet. She didn't seem to be physically hurt, aside from the fact that she was freezing cold. Yet somehow, she felt… different. As though some part of her was missing. Only that was silly; all of her body parts were still in place, and her memory was still intact. So what was wrong with her?

Goten and Trunks! she remembered suddenly._ I saw them right here with the Eternal Dragon! They must have gathered the dragon balls and summoned him… Oh, what are those two up to this time?_

"Goten?" she called out. "Trunks? Is anybody here?"

There was no answer. 

"_Goten!_" she yelled angrily. "I know you're here! Come out right now or you're in big trouble, mister!"

Only silence answered her. Nobody was here… it was just her.

Chi-Chi looked up at the sky and saw that the sun had risen quite some time ago. _It's morning? _she thought, disoriented. _Kami, how long have I been out?_

She stumbled to her feet and headed back towards her house. She was starting to get worried. Goten probably went home… but he wouldn't have just left her in the woods. And neither would Goku or Gohan --- even if they did forget about her on Christmas Eve…

What if something _did _happen to them? She brushed that thought aside at once… Goku could take care of himself, and so could Gohan. Goten, on the other hand, was only eight years old and was more prone to get into trouble… especially when he was with Trunks.

She let out a long frustrated sigh. _It **is **Christmas, _she reminded herself in an attempt to calm down._ And it's the first time he was gone when there wasn't a battle… or when he hasn't been dead. He must have a good reason for missing … _

But Christmas is supposed to be a time for family; I thought even **he **would understand that. She let out a long, frustrated sigh. _I guess I was wrong._

She clenched her fists as she approached her house. _I don't why he and Goten didn't come home last night… they'd just better be home when ---_ She let out a sharp gasp and stopped in her tracks. 

Her house wasn't there. 

At first, Chi-Chi thought she'd taken a wrong turn. Yet that was impossible; she'd lived on Mount Pouzu for nearly twenty years. She'd taken all the paths leading to and from her house so many times that she find her way home blindfolded.

__

What happened? she wondered in shock. _Did some new monster destroy it while we were all gone? _A horrifying thought occurred to her. _What if the boys had all been in the house when it was blown up?_

No… that couldn't have happened. For one thing, Goku and the boys would have had enough sense to escape the house. Besides, if it had been destroyed, then there would have been evidence: fragments of the house --- or even bodies. To her relief, there were no traces of either one of those things. It was almost as though the house had simply vanished into thin air.

"Goku!" she called out, trying not to panic. "Gohan! Goten! Where are you?"

Silence was her only response.

"Okay Goku, joke's over!" she yelled desperately. "Come out right now!"

Everyone was gone. Now she _knew _that something was definitely wrong.

"What's going on here?" she murmured to herself. "First Shenron grants a wish. The next morning I wake up alone in the woods and my house disappears. Kami, am I going crazy?"

"No, you're not going crazy," a nearby voice replied calmly. 

Chi-Chi whirled around. A short old man stood behind her, accompanied by Baba. She didn't recognize the man at first… until she saw a halo over his head.

"Oh my goodness," she gasped. "You're Gohan --- Goku's grandpa!"

"Ah, you remember me!" Grandpa Gohan said cheerfully. Chi-Chi had met Grandpa Gohan only once; it was when she and Goku traveled to Mount Five Elements, before they got married. He and Lady Annin had helped them put out the fires destroying her father's kingdom.

When he was a boy, Goku used have a tail that caused him to change into a giant ape on the night of a full moon. It was on one of those full moons that he had crushed his own grandfather. He, of course, had no idea of this, but Chi-Chi had suspected it after hearing his vague descriptions of that fateful night. She didn't have the heart to tell him, though. She had known that even if Goku had been the monster, he cared about his grandpa too much to purposely hurt him. It wasn't until four years later, when the Saiyans had arrived, that he discovered the truth…

"I'll come back for you as soon as this whole thing is fixed," Baba told Gohan. "Good luck. I hope you know what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Chi-Chi demanded. "What's going on? Where's my family?"

Baba snorted. "_You_ should know. _You're_ the one who made the wish." With that, she floated away on her crystal ball.

Chi-Chi turned to Grandpa Gohan. "What was that all about? I never made a wish!"

"Oh, but you did," he replied gravely. "Don't you remember what you said the other night?"

"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi asked, but at the same time, her own words came back to haunt her: _It's almost enough to make me wish that I was never born!_

"No…" she said incredulously. "Don't be silly... I couldn't have made a wish like that --- I'm still here, aren't I?"

"Well, yes," Grandpa Gohan admitted, "but only in your mind. You see, because of your wish, you were never _born_. You are no longer Son Chi-Chi. You're a stranger to the people you know and love."

Chi-Chi shook her head. "I don't believe it," she said firmly, as though trying to convince herself. "That impossible."

"Is it?" Grandpa Gohan asked. "You've witnessed the Eternal Dragon being summoned, haven't you? You, of all people, should know how a Shenron can change everything!"

Chi-Chi still wouldn't believe she'd wish such a thing. "I was just talking to myself! I didn't even know Shenron was there!"

"Whether or not you knew he was there, he heard it, and he granted your wish," Grandpa Gohan said grimly.

"I don't believe it," she repeated obstinately, although a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach said otherwise. "You're playing a trick on me…"

Grandpa Gohan narrowed his eyes. "Do you refuse to believe it because you don't want to admit that you made a mistake… or are more curious to know what things are like without you?"

That question definitely caught her off-guard. 

"So?" she asked in as much of an indifferent tone as possible. "What difference would I make to anyone? Nobody needs me…"

"That's not true!" Grandpa Gohan said in disbelief. "A lot of people need you… especially your family!"

"Is that so?" she asked bitterly. "Then why did they all forget about me on Christmas Eve?"

Grandpa Gohan stared at her. "Hmmm…" he said thoughtfully. "This is going to be harder than I thought. I'll tell you what: why don't I just leave alone for a while. That way, you can see for yourself how much they need you…" He turned to leave.

"_What?_" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "But --- you can't just leave me here!"

"You'll be fine," Grandpa Gohan said simply. "You're the Ox-King's daughter; you can take care of yourself."

"What about Goku, Gohan, and Goten?" she yelled angrily. "Where _are_ they?"

"Oh, you'll see soon enough," he replied cryptically.

"What ---?" Chi-Chi started to ask him, but froze. He was nowhere in sight. 

She walked deeper into the forest, hoping to find him. "Gohan… Gohan!" she called out. He was nowhere to be found. 

"Great,"she fumed. "Just great! Why is everyone leaving me?"

__

Was he telling the truth? she wondered, wandering hopelessly. _Did I really get my wish? This has to be some kind of bad joke…but why would anyone joke about something like this? _

All of a sudden, a low growling interrupted her thoughts. She looked behind her. A group of wolves were emerging from the trees, advancing on her.

"Oh no…" Chi-Chi moaned. She was used to wild animals; it was something to expect from living on the mountains. One wolf she could handle. Now, however, the wolves easily outnumbered her, at least ten to one.

Cautiously, she backed into an open path through the trees. The wolves slowly inched towards her. As soon as she was close to the path, she started running away as fast as she could. The wolves ran after her, snarling ferociously. 

They chased her for what seemed like hours, until she tripped over a fallen log. She tried to get up, but just then, the lead wolf bounded towards her and leapt in the air, clearly ready to pounce. She screamed…

Suddenly, a ki blast shot out from behind her and struck the wolf, killing it instantly. A second one knocked another wolf directly into a tree. Frightened by this sudden attack, the remaining wolves retreated out of sight.

A spiky-haired man stepped out of the trees. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, looking at the dead wolves. "A whole pack of them!" He turned to Chi-Chi. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Goku!" she gasped. She scrambled to her feet and hugged him. "Goku --- thank Kami… where on earth have you been?"

To her shock, Goku pulled himself out of her arms, looking utterly bewildered. "Um, I'm sorry --- but do I know you?"

To be continued…

A/N: Just when it was getting good, huh? Wow, look at all the positive reviews I've gotten! I'd better start replying!

Nitte iz: Glad to know that people agree with me. J 

Vivi: Thank you.

Bunny1: Thank you.

Chuquita: I agree, Chi-Chi did indirectly cause a lot of things to happen in DBZ. I mean, without her, there would be no Gohan and *gasp* Goten, and without them… I won't give it away, but you'll see what I mean in future chapters… *cackles evilly*

Dark-mean-me: Thank you!

Lady Athena: I totally agree with you! *high fives Lady Athena*. Yeah, I hate Chi-Chi bashers too. I'm so sick of everyone saying that she's a bitch, because she isn't. Has anyone tried looking at things from her point of view? And yes, Goku does need Chi-Chi; she has done a lot more for him and the boys than just cook, clean, yell, and nag. And without her… well, you'll see what I mean later on… ;)

Jessica C: I had to stop there; cliffhangers get more people to read. It works for certain other fanfic writers… G/CC are my favorite couple too! I'll try and update every Thursday or Friday, depending on how things are. How many chapters are in the story? I think I'll leave you in the dark about that. Sorry, can't give anything away!

Sakura123: You think Chi-Chi is dumb?! It _was_ a stupid thing of her to say, but still, don't let other G/CC fans hear you say that. Yeah, I hate GT too. Turning Goku into a little kid (even though he's a cute little kid) was a lousy cop-out, and it screws up my favorite pairing! I'd name more reasons why I don't like it (like turning Trunks into a sissy and Goten into a ladies man), but there's just too much to list.

Lady Thundera: Oh, yeah, it was a dumb thing of her to say. Just how dumb will be evident very soon. I'm beginning to see why you love keeping secrets so much… heh, heh, heh!

Kitkat: Another G/CC fan! And here I thought we were in a minority! J 

Nisha: Well, technically, she's not gone… she'll still interact with the characters and everything, but they won't know her because she was never born. Oh, yes, we'll be able to see how Goku will be without her in the next chapter. Heh, heh, heh…

Silent Reflections: Thank you!

Illusion Warrior: I updated!

i won't tell: Yeah, I noticed that there weren't a lot of fics like this… I was just so sick of seeing fanfics that made it look like Goku would be okay without Chi-Chi, because it isn't true! I heard that in the manga, Goku saw Chi-Chi getting killed by Majin Buu and totally flipped out… but I'll have to wait until the Majin Buu series comes out in the manga to find out. *pouts*

just a reader: Thank you!

__


	3. Part 3

Part Three

Chi-Chi was stunned. "What do you mean you don't know me?" she asked faintly. "Of course you know me!"

"I do?" Goku asked, surprised. He stared at her. "You don't look familiar," he said slowly, "but you _do _know my name, so maybe I did meet you somewhere… What's _your_ name, anyway?"

"_What's my name?_" Chi-Chi repeated incredulously. "I'm Chi-Chi!"

Goku just looked at her blankly.

_This can't be happening, _she thought in disbelief. _My husband is looking at me as if I'm a complete stranger!_ Ironically, it reminded of when they met up at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, many years ago. He hadn't recognized her back then either.

Thinking quickly, she tried a different approach. "I'm Chi-Chi --- the Ox-King's daughter, remember?"

Goku shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't think I've ever met the Ox-King." He scratched his head. "But your name does sound familiar…"

"It does?" Chi-Chi asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I think I heard Master Roshi mention it once…"

Her hopes were dashed. Of course Goku would have heard something like that from Master Roshi; the old man was the biggest pervert in the world, and she knew perfectly well what her name meant.

"Look, I don't have time for games!" Chi-Chi snapped. She tried to convince herself that Goku was playing some sort of joke on her, but Goku was not at all mean-spirited. Why would he kid around about something like this? "Where are Gohan and Goten?"

Goku looked even more confused. "Who?"

"My sons!" she shouted. She almost said "our sons", but thought better of it.

"You have a son named Gohan?" he asked incredulously. "Wow, that's so weird! My grandpa was named Gohan!"

"Of course he was, we named him after him!" Chi-Chi blurted out.

Goku's eyes widened. "You knew my grandpa?" he asked, surprised. "Oh, so that's how you know my name?"

"Never mind that for now," she replied, waving her hand impatiently. "Where are they?"

Goku shook his head again. "I'm really sorry, but I don't think I've seen anyone else in the woods today."

"What do you mean? We live here…" She faltered as the truth slowly dawned on her…

"You really don't know me, do you?" she said, sighing in defeat.

Goku shook his head apologetically.

Chi-Chi sank down onto the log. _Oh Kami, Grandpa Gohan was right! _she realized. _The wish really did work! _That was why her house was gone. Goku had no idea who she was. And since he didn't know her, it was obvious that she wouldn't find Gohan and Goten --- they were never born either.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered to Goku, feeling completely embarrassed. "I'm really confused…"

"Are you lost?" Goku asked, sitting next to her on the log. "Is that it?"

Chi-Chi thought hard. She didn't want to lie to Goku, but how else could she explain everything? Suppose she was the one who thought she had never met Goku in her life? How would _she_ react if a stranger walked up to her one day and told her that she was his wife? She'd either flip out or think he was crazy --- or both.

"Yes, I guess I am lost," she sighed.

Now that the truth had at last sunk in, she took a better look at Goku. His appearance was exactly like it was the last time that she had seen him. The only difference was that he was wearing clothes that she had never seen before: a long sleeved blue coat over a black shirt and his usual boots. His clothes seemed warm enough, but she couldn't help noticing that they were rather ragged looking, and darned in more than a few places. 

"Well, maybe I can help you," Goku suggested. "There's a village further down the mountains… do you live there?"

"No," Chi-Chi said shaking her head. "We live here in the woods… at least we _did_."

"That's strange," Goku said thoughtfully. "I always thought _I_ was the only one who lived in the woods."

"Oh, well… we live in a fairly secluded area," she half-lied nervously. "You probably haven't been there."

"I don't know, I explore the woods a lot," he said, looking around. "But these woods _are_ pretty deep… if you say you live here, then I believe you."

She stared at him. Goku had always been naïve and trusting --- far too much for his own good, in fact. Yet though he wasn't the sharpest too in the shed, he still had some common sense. Shouldn't he be at least a little bit suspicious of her? 

"I'm sure your family hasn't gone too far," Goku assured her. "You probably just got separated… they have to be around here somewhere."

"No, I'm afraid they're far away from here," Chi-Chi replied sadly. 

Goku thought for a moment. "Well, okay, you can stay with me until we find them," he said brightly.

Chi-Chi looked up. "Really?" she asked, feeling a rush of gratitude towards him.

"Sure! Where else are you going to go?" Goku asked, as though it was no big deal.

She threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank you so much!" she exclaimed. She had almost been afraid that he would just leave in her in the woods, but he wouldn't do that; he was not that kind of person.

Goku pulled himself away from her. "Um, could you please not do that?" he asked, looking a little bit annoyed.

"What's the matter?" she asked bewilderedly. "Haven't you ever been hugged before."

"No," Goku replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's really uncomfortable."

"Oh… all right then," Chi-Chi said, slightly hurt. 

It occurred to her that in the early days of their marriage, Goku had indeed been uncomfortable (not to mention embarrassed) whenever Chi-Chi had hugged or kissed him. It was understandable, she supposed. He hadn't really been touched that way before… especially by a girl he had met once or twice in his childhood. But as time went on, he'd gotten used to being that close to her… and even returned the ardor…

She brushed those thoughts aside, and noticed Goku was walking towards the dead wolves. "What are you doing?" she inquired.

Goku picked up a particular large wolf and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm gonna have it for lunch, of course," he replied simply.

"You're going to eat it?" she shrieked. "Goku, that's disgusting!"

"Well, a guy's gotta eat," he said, shrugging. "And it's not that bad."

_Easy for you to say, _she thought in disgust. _You'd eat anything!_

"Come on, my house isn't too far away," Goku said, pointing to the path Chi-Chi had entered through only a few minutes ago. 

"So did you really know my grandpa?" he asked as they walked through the woods.

"Well, sort of," she admitted. "He knew my dad. They both trained under Master Roshi when they were young." It felt very strange telling him about things he had already known for a long time… but he didn't have a clue about any of it after the wish.

"Grandpa never talked about any of his friends," he said, "but then again, he never told me that he was trained by Master Roshi either. Weird, huh?"

"Yeah," Chi-Chi agreed half-heartedly. "By the way… I forgot to thank you for saving me from those wolves."

"No problem," Goku replied good-naturedly. "I was just out training when I heard you. You scream really loud."

"What?" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "I do _not_!" 

"Yes, you do," Goku pointed out. He chuckled. "No offense, but I'll bet people can hear you screaming from a thousand miles away."

Chi-Chi flushed angrily and turned away from him. "You're very rude!"

"Sorry," Goku apologized. "I wasn't being mean; I was just telling the truth. Hey, here we are!"

They stopped in front of a little hut. Chi-Chi immediately recognized it as Grandpa Gohan's house. She and Goku had stayed there while their own house was being finished nearby. It was very small and not very well kept, but it was a nice place all the same.

"You live here all by yourself?" she asked as they stepped inside.

"Sure, who else would I live?" he replied simply.

Chi-Chi stopped in her tracks. "You mean you don't have a family?"

Goku shook his head. "No. In fact, I don't get much company here."

"What about your friends?" she wanted to know. "Don't they ever come to visit you?"

"I go visit them sometimes," he answered. "They don't like to come up here though."

"I can see why," Chi-Chi remarked dryly, looking all over the house. The place was a pigsty; several cobwebs were in the corners of the ceiling, the floors looked as though it hadn't been swept or vacuumed in years, and dust covered everything. Hadn't he ever bothered to clean the house every once a while?  


__

What did you expect? a voice in her head pointed out. _He couldn't clean the house; back you were newlyweds, he couldn't even take care of himself properly!_

"Well, it's almost time to eat," Goku said brightly. "I'll just start a fire outside and get it ready."

Chi-Chi blinked. "_You _cook?" she asked, taken aback.

"It's not that hard," Goku said simply. "You just get rid of the fur and roast it, don't you?"

"Oh, right…" Chi-Chi muttered. This was definitely not like Goku… he was a terrible cook. He tried to cook a meal once when she was pregnant with Gohan; he wanted to help her out more because of her condition. He almost burned the whole house down. Then again, he'd never used an oven before, so that might have had something to do with it. Actually, when it came to cooking fish over a campfire, he wasn't that bad.

"I'll let you know when it's ready," Goku said as he stepped outside.

Chi-Chi cringed. "Um, no thank you."

"But aren't you hungry?" Goku asked, baffled.

"Not for wolf meat," she muttered.

"Okay, do you want me to go hunt something else for you?" 

"No!"

"Well then what are you going to eat?" Goku asked.

"I'm not really not hungry," Chi-Chi lied. 

"Aw, come on, it isn't bad!" Goku pleaded.

"I said I don't want to, and that's final!"

***

"Hmmm… tastes like chicken," Chi-Chi remarked thoughtfully as she ate the wolf meat.

It had taken a full hour of Goku insisting that she try it for her to give on. He could always talk her into doing anything; at least _that_ never changed. Besides, she hadn't had anything to eat all day, and it really didn't look that bad after Goku had skinned the wolf.

"See?" Goku smiled. "Didn't I tell you?" He then proceeded to messily devour his own share of meat.

"_Goku!_" Chi-Chi exclaimed, appalled at his behavior. "Where are your manners?"

"My wha ---?" he asked, his mouth full.

"You eat like a pig!"

Goku just grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot from my friends," he laughed as he finished his food. "Are you gonna eat yours?" he asked.

"Go ahead," she sighed, giving him the remainder of her meal. She was full anyway, but looking at him eat was enough to eliminate anyone's appetite.

As she looked into the flames of the campfire, Chi-Chi suddenly remembered something she had long forgotten. "Goku, you know what day it is?"

"Sure, it's today," Goku said simply.

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes. "No, silly. It's Christmas Day!"

"Oh!" Goku replied. A slight pause. "What's Christmas?"

Chi-Chi stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me!" she said incredulously. "You mean you don't know about _Christmas_? Didn't your grandpa ever tell you?"

"I don't think so," Goku said uncertainly, shaking his head. "What is it?"

_How could he not know about Christmas? _Chi-Chi wondered. _It's his favorite time of year! Then again…he didn't know what Christmas was when we were first married either. In fact, he didn't know a lot about some things… **I **told him all about it._

Chi-Chi thought for a moment, trying to remember how she had first explained the holiday to Goku. "Well, Christmas is a very special day when all families get together and celebrate. First, they cut down a tree and decorate it. Then they get presents for each other and put them under the tree. And in the morning, they all open their gifts."

"Wow," Goku said in amazement. "Sounds like fun! I never did anything like that when I was a kid. But why do they give each other presents?"

"That's what Christmas is about: giving to others."

"Shouldn't they do that every day, and not just on Christmas?"

"I guess so," Chi-Chi said thoughtfully, "but that's not all it's about."

"What _is _it about then?" Goku wondered.

"Being with your family," she said rather quietly. She suddenly remembered how she had spent Christmas Eve away from her family. Why hadn't the boys just stayed with her? They knew how important Christmas was to her… especially since the whole family was back together… She heaved a great sigh.

Goku watched her rather closely. "And you got separated from your family today? When you're all supposed to be together?"

Chi-Chi nodded forlornly. "Something like that."

"That's gotta suck," Goku commented.

"You have no idea," Chi-Chi said bitterly. She immediately changed the subject. "What do you do all day out here, anyway?" 

"Train mostly," he replied.

"What else?"

"I hunt… explore… I think I've been around the world at least three times."

"Are you happy?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" he asked, confused.

"Are you happy? Living out here all by yourself? Training all the time? Having adventures?"

"Sure!" Goku said cheerfully. "I can along fine here. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy."

Chi-Chi looked at the ground. "I thought so."

"What?" Goku asked, alarmed at her gloomy behavior. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," she said shortly.

"It's your family isn't it?" he guessed. "Don't worry. If it's Christmas, then they'll have to be looking for you!" he said confidently.

Chi-Chi was silent, looking thoughtfully into the fire. _If you only knew, _she thought ruefully.

Goku polished off the last of his meal. "So are you ready?" 

"Ready? For what?" she asked absentmindedly.

"To look for your family, of course," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't think of this before, but we can fly around on my Nimbus cloud, and we'll see if we can find your family."

"I'm not sure if that'll work, Goku," Chi-Chi said uneasily.

"Oh don't be so negative," he said, standing up. "It's not like they just vanished off the face of the Earth!"

__

If you only knew, she thought wryly.

"And besides, if it's Christmas, then they're sure to be looking for you!" he added.

"Well… okay," Chi-Chi said reluctantly. "But how about you wash up first?" she added, taking notice of how sweaty Goku was --- from his training, no doubt.

Goku scratched his head. "Why?"

"Why?" Chi-Chi repeated incredulously. "Look at you! You can't just go out in public with you looking as filthy as that."

"I only wash up when I need to," Goku said defensively.

"And how often is that?" Chi-Chi demanded.

"Once a week, maybe."

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, disgusted. "Honestly, who taught you good hygiene?" Then she remembered --- _she_ had. 

"Okay, I wash up if it makes you happy," Goku said, walking away. "There's a hot spring down nearby… just stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time," Chi-Chi called after him. _Kami knows you'll need to…_

"So, having fun?" a familiar voice asked.

Grandpa Gohan had appeared out of nowhere in front of her. "There you are!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, irritated. "What was the big idea of leaving me alone like that!"

"You can't expect me to make you see why everyone needs you," Grandpa Gohan replied evenly. "That's something you'll have to find out by yourself."

"I can't really see why anybody needs me so far," Chi-Chi said bitterly. "Goku's perfectly happy. And he's not any different without me either."

"Really?" Grandpa Gohan asked, staring hard at her.

"All right, he's a little bit different," she admitted. "He's little more childish than he already was… and he doesn't take good care of himself in terms of cleaning. But otherwise, he's still the same old Goku… and he's all right being alone."

"You think so?" Grandpa Gohan said lightly. He didn't seem to have taken in a single word she said.

"Yeah, and the world hasn't ended without me, has it?" Chi-Chi retorted. "No, everything's more or less the same as it was when I _existed_!"

Grandpa Gohan shook his head. "Don't jump to conclusions… you've only met up with Goku so far… you haven't seen the whole entire world yet, have you?"

"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi asked. "Look, _I _never saved the world; all I did was marry Goku and have Gohan and Goten! What difference did that make in anybody's life?"

"More than you think," Grandpa Gohan said seriously. "Don't think for one moment that you didn't make a difference in Goku's life! You gave him something that no one else ever gave him --- not even me."

"What was that?" Chi-Chi demanded.

"You'll find out soon… pay attention to everything you see, and you'll know how much of a difference you made." And with those words, he disappeared again.

"Oh, great, he went off again!" Chi-Chi groaned in frustration. "I'm really getting tired of this…"

"Hey!"

Goku was running back towards the house, his hair slightly damp. He wasn't gone for very long, but he looked a lot cleaner than he did moments before. 

"I could hear you talking to someone," he said as he approached her. "Was someone here?"

"Um, no, no one was here," Chi-Chi said slowly. She knew she should have told him that his grandpa was back from the dead, but why bother telling him when he'd probably disappear anyway? Maybe when Grandpa Gohan volunteered to help her, it was one of those "nobody can see me or hear me but you" deals. No need for Goku to think that he was odder than she seemed to him.

"I could have sworn I heard someone," Goku said, rubbing the back of his head. "Someone I knew…" He paused, scooping up a handful of snow and using it to put the fire out. "Never mind. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Chi-Chi nodded. How was she going to tell him that her sons were no longer here without revealing the wish?

"Flying Nimbus!" Goku yelled out.

The little yellow cloud came flying out of the sky and swooped down to the ground. Goku stepped onto it and reached out his hand to pull Chi-Chi up, but she had already climbed onto it by herself.

"Wow! You act like you've done this before!" Goku said, impressed.

"Um… yeah," Chi-Chi said awkwardly. "Let's just go."

As the cloud started off into the sky, Grandpa Gohan's words kept echoing in her mind: _Don't think for one moment that you didn't make a difference in Goku's life! You gave him something that no one else ever gave him…_

What could I have possibly given him? Chi-Chi wondered. _Was it that special?_

Part of her thought that she ought to just gather the dragon balls right away and undo the wish. Yet she was still curious… just how much of a difference did she make in the world?

She would soon find out.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry for the late update, everybody! I hope this chapter made up for it. Next chapter we start to get to the nitty-gritty stuff, and we meet up with several of the DBZ characters… *does a Dr. Evil laugh* Okay, to the reviews!

Sakura 123: Don't worry, I get it. Believe it or not, that's how a lot of readers react when a character says or does something stupid. No… this is more based on _It's A Wonderful Life_ than _A Christmas Carol_. Grandpa Gohan is the only dead person who will be in this story.

Bunny1: Sorry, this won't be done in time for Christmas. *envisions Chi-Chi singing "Santa Baby"* LOL! I think Bulma is more likely to do that!

Lady Thundera: Do not underestimate the power of the Dark Side. *laughs madly* There was plenty of G/CC interaction in this chapter, and there will be more to come. 

Jessica C: Goku and Chi-Chi are still the same ages they were when Goku returned in the Buu saga… that would make them in their early/mid thirties, I think. As you have read in the chapter, Goku does not find anyone else. I mean, come on, we're talking about a man who thought "marriage" was food! Besides, he's hot and everything, but I doubt that many other women would be willing to wait for them as long as Chi-Chi did every time he left/died. And yes, they're meant for each other : )

Silent Reflections: Thank you!

Mkh2: I love Christmas too! What can I say, it's the most wonderful time of the year!

Chuquita: Yes, there is a lot for this story to cover… hint: in the next part, we'll find out what has happened in the previous DBZ battles with Chi-Chi… or should I say, Gohan and Goten. *grins wickedly* Originally, I was going to have King Kai play the Clarence role in the fic, but I thought that Grandpa Gohan fitted the role so much better. Glad you like it!

Jukka the Sling: I updated!

Ssj Chika: Yeah, Goku got confused all right. And he's going to be even _more_ confused in future parts… heh, heh, heh!

I won't tell: Thank you!

Lady Athena12: Again, I agree with you completely.

Black Cat: I had to stop it there… cliffies keep everyone reading! That's the conspiracy of most writers ;)

Abigail Marie: Glad that you agree with me : ) It's common knowledge to us G/CC people.

Nisha: Yes, in an ironic twist, I also hate cliffhangers when _I'm _reading fics… but when I'm writing them, I find it somewhat pleasurable. Guess that makes me a hypocrite. LOL!

Dark-mean-me: You have no idea how messed up it will be.

Moongirl16: Thank you!

Mali: Of course I'm going to update it!

Thanks for the reviews everyone, and Merry Christmas to all of you! See you in the next chapter!


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: The idea that Goku and Chi-Chi stayed in Grandpa Gohan's house in the early days of their marriage belongs to Lady Thundera. I did not steal the idea from her, as a reviewer accused me of doing. I meant to credit her in the previous chapter, I really did, but my computer problems drove it completely out of my mind. I'm sorry if anyone thought that I had stole it; I don't steal other author's ideas. 

Author's Note: Okay, this is the chapter that most of you have been waiting for: when we get to find out how different the world is without Chi-Chi. On a further note, you'll see that I rewrote the battles and main events of DBZ to something almost beyond recognition. Think about it, what would have happened to Goku and the others if Gohan and Goten weren't there to help them? 

Anyway, chalk it up to poetic license, I'm the one writing this fic. If any of it confuses you, please let me know and I'll clear up whatever questions you have in your reviews. I left out most of the little details of the past events because almost everybody knows what happens and I don't want this chapter to be boring. All right, with that said, on with the story!

Part Four

By mid-afternoon, Goku had no luck in his search for Chi-Chi's "family." This was no surprise to Chi-Chi because you can't find what no longer existed. But she wasn't about to tell that to Goku.

"I don't get it," Goku said as they flew over the woods on Nimbus. "You said your family lived in the woods. We've flown around maybe ten times, and you still don't see your house."

"I told you that we wouldn't be able to find it," Chi-Chi said tiredly. She really didn't like leading Goku on like this; he was being really nice, even though he didn't know her anymore. Besides, as gullible as he was, she was sure that he'd eventually find out that she was lying.

"Is there anywhere else your family could be?" Goku asked. "Maybe they went to look for you somewhere else."

"That could be it," Chi-Chi said slowly, careful not to do or say anything that would make him suspicious. She thought hard. "We do know some people in West City."

"Great!" Goku said cheerfully. "My friend Bulma lives there; maybe she can help us!"

"Great," Chi-Chi said less enthusiastically. _Bulma can't help; she won't know me either._

As they flew out of the woods, she looked down at the snow-covered tops of the passing trees. _The woods haven't changed at all, _she thought. _I don't know what Grandpa Gohan was getting at when he said to take a good look around. The world is exactly the same as I left it…_

Just then, she spotted a figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, apparently meditated. At first, she didn't recognize who it was; the cape and turban the figure wore blended in perfectly with the snow… until she caught a glimpse of green.

"Goku, fly down there!" she exclaimed. "I think I know someone else who can help!"

"Okay, who is ---?" Goku started to ask, steering the cloud towards the ground. Then he froze, looking somewhat apprehensive. "Sorry, but I think we better keep going."

"Keep going?" Chi-Chi repeated in disbelief. "Why?"

He looked down at the ground. "There's someone dangerous lurking here, and trust me, you don't want to be around him."

She followed his gaze. "Don't be silly, Goku" she replied, shaking her head. "There's nobody here but Piccolo."

"That's exactly who I mean," he said, nodding.

Chi-Chi stared at him, hardly believing her ears. "What?" she sputtered. "But --- Piccolo --- isn't he supposed to be our friend?"

Goku looked as her as though she were crazy. "Piccolo --- our _friend_?" he asked in disbelief. 

"Well, yes, he used to be evil," Chi-Chi said, not liking where this was going, "only he made friends with Gohan…"

Goku stared at her in shock. "You're crazy! My grandpa was never friends with a monster like Piccolo!"

"Not your grandpa, my son!" she yelled in frustration. 

"Your _son_ is friends with _Piccolo_?" Goku asked incredulously. "Why would ---HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Without even thinking, Chi-Chi had jumped off Nimbus. Goku quickly dove after her. Luckily, this was not necessarily. The height they had been at wasn't very far, and she managed to land on her feet. Being a martial artist, even if it was for a brief period of time, had certainly taught her a few tricks.

If she couldn't tell Goku what was really going on, yet perhaps she could tell Piccolo. She only hoped he'd believe her without thinking she was crazy…

She ran towards Piccolo, who was still meditating under a tree. "Piccolo!" she called out. "Piccolo, you have to help me…"

Piccolo acted as though he hadn't heard a word she said. 

"You probably don't know me right now," she went on, taking no notice of this, "but I know you. You see I made this wish…"

She faltered as Piccolo opened his eyes, glaring at her viciously. Before she could say or do anything else, he raised one hand and fired a ki blast at her.

Goku flew down just in time to grab her and pull her away from him. The ki blast blew up a tree next to where she had been standing. He flew her away from Piccolo as fast as he could and returned to the Nimbus cloud.

"What was he doing?" Chi-Chi asked angrily, struggling out of Goku's grip. "Why I never --- he could have killed me! Put me down, I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind!"

"Don't you dare!" Goku said landing back on Nimbus. Chi-Chi was shocked to see that he looked every bit as angry as she was. "What were you thinking? Going near Piccolo like that… do you have some sort of death wish?"

"Well, he's _your_ friend, isn't he?" Chi-Chi pointed out.

"Look, I don't know what you've heard, but Piccolo is _not_ my friend!" Goku said hotly. "Why would I be friends with that monster?"

Chi-Chi stared at him, astonished. _This doesn't make sense, _she thought. _Piccolo **was **evil, only he changed when he trained Gohan ---_

And then it hit her. Gohan had never been born. So of course he had never trained with Piccolo… then again, Piccolo had helped Goku defeat Raddiz. True, he had helped by killing both of them at the same time, but he had still helped. Wouldn't have changed regardless of Gohan?

"You need to be more careful," Goku warned her, setting her down on Nimbus. "I don't want to have to tell your family that you got hurt!"

"Okay, okay, I will," Chi-Chi assured him, still trying to take all of this in. It had taken her a long time to accept that Piccolo had turned good. After all, she hadn't forgotten the way he had brutally beaten Goku during their fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Now she was going to have to get used to him being evil all over again…

"But why did you just run off with me like that?" she asked curiously. "You're strong --- couldn't you just beat him up?"

"'Course I could!" Goku replied indignantly. "But I couldn't because you're with me… I think he'd try and use you as a distraction to me. And anyway, I can't kill him."

"Why not?"

"He's the other half of Kami; if Piccolo dies, then Kami dies. And if Kami dies, the dragon balls will go with him."

"Kami isn't the Guardian of Earth anymore, Dende is!" she corrected him.

He stared at her strangely. "Dende? No you must be wrong, Kami is the Guardian of Earth."

Chi-Chi was stunned. "But --- didn't Piccolo fuse with Kami?" she stammered.

Goku started laughing. "That's a good one… you're funny!"

"I'm not joking!" Chi-Chi shouted.

Goku immediately stopped laughing. "Are you crazy?" he asked incredulously. "Piccolo would never do that… it's a good thing too, because if he did, he'd be more powerful than he is now." 

__

So Piccolo is evil and Kami is still the Guardian of Earth? she thought, stunned. _Kami, what else has changed?_

"Your son --- Gohan --- he isn't evil, is he?" Goku asked suddenly. 

"Of course not!" Chi-Chi yelled. "How could you even think such a thing about your --- my son.

"All right, all right!" Goku said, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry… but how else could he be friends with Piccolo? I don't think there are any other Nameks named Piccolo on Earth, are there?"

Chi-Chi bit her lip. _Oh, great, how am I going to talk my way out of this one? _she wondered frantically. 

"I was wrong," she lied slowly. "I must have mistook him for another one of his friends! He's not evil, really!"

"Don't worry, I believe you," he reassured her.

"You do?" she asked in amazement. "Why?" _Why do you trust someone you've apparently never met?_

"Because you can ride Nimbus," Goku said simply. "You have to have a pure heart to do so. Most of my friends can't ride it, and they're still good people."

Chi-Chi couldn't help smiling. _Good old Goku, _she thought fondly. _At least he never changed._

***

Not too long afterwards, they arrived at West City. All of the buildings were decorated with Christmas lights, wreaths, and all sorts of decorations.

"Wow, look at all of this!" Goku said ecstatically. "I've never seen the city like this before!"

"You've never visited the city during Christmas?" Chi-Chi asked, puzzled.

"I never even heard of Christmas until today," Goku reminded her. "And I don't come here much. The city is nice, but I like the woods better. It's more quiet."

"So do I," Chi-Chi said, thinking wistfully of her own house.

"C'mon, let's go see Bulma," Goku said.

Needless to say, Chi-Chi was nervous. It may be easy to convince Goku she was trustworthy, in spite of her constant blurt-outs of her previous life, but Bulma was something else. As air-headed as Bulma was at times, she was a mechanical genius and not one to pull the wool over her eyes. What was she going to do if Bulma found out she was lying?

They got off the Nimbus cloud when they arrived at Capsule Cooperation. Goku knocked at the door. One of the Briefs' robots answered it and led them inside. The Briefs were very wealthy, so their house was covered in Christmas decorations. Holly hung from the ceiling. Decorated trees were found in every room. 

"Wow!" Goku said, amazed. "It's just like you said, Chi-Chi! There are presents under the trees just like you told me!"

They found Bulma working in the mechanic room. She immediately smiled at the sight of Goku. "Goku! I can't believe you're here; I haven't seen you in months!" she exclaimed, hugging him.

Chi-Chi immediately felt a twinge of jealousy. Bulma and Goku were just friends, only that was before she wished she were never born. Then again, she was probably still married to Vegeta… She looked around. Where _was_ Vegeta, anyway?

"Say, who's your friend?" Bulma asked, noticing Chi-Chi glaring at her.

"Oh, this is Chi-Chi," Goku replied, introducing her. "She lives in the woods where I live. She got separated from her family."

"Really?" Bulma asked, raising her eyebrows. "Then what are you doing here?"

"She said they have friends who live here," Goku informed her.

"Where do these friends of theirs live?" Bulma wanted to know.

Chi-Chi bit her lip. _Now, what? I can't just tell her that **she **knows them; she doesn't know them anymore!_

"Um… I don't really know," she admitted.

Bulma snorted. "Some mother you are! You don't even know what kind of friends your children have!"

Chi-Chi was furious. "You've got some nerve!" she shouted. "I _am_ a good mother… they're the ones who keep leaving all the time!"

"Well, at least I know where my son is right now!" Bulma shot back.

Goku quickly moved between them. "All right, that's enough!" he said sternly. "Fighting with each other isn't gonna help anything! Bulma, it isn't Chi-Chi's fault. People get lost all the time." 

Bulma exhaled. "You're right," she said reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Chi-Chi."

"By the way, where is Trunks?" Goku asked, looking around.

For some reason, Bulma suddenly looked sad. "He's in the gravity room, training again. He hardly comes out now. Not since…" She broke off, turning away.

"But it's Christmas!" Chi-Chi said, frowning. "Why isn't he opening his presents or playing with his friends?"

Bulma gave her a strange look. "I'm afraid my son doesn't have any friends. At least none his age…"

"What about ---?" Chi-Chi started to ask, then stopped. _Goten was never born either, _she told herself. _Surely, Trunks would have made some other friends…and what about Vegeta? I know he isn't the most open-loving father, but he still cares about his son, deep down… Goten told me that he took him to the park sometimes if he did well enough at training…_

"Enough about that," Bulma said suddenly. "What are your children's names? Maybe we can ask around to see if anyone here knows them."

"Their names are Gohan and Goten," Chi-Chi said cautiously. "And I don't think that asking around would help… it's a big city, after all.

"Then let's call the police," Bulma suggested promptly. "We can give them a description and they'll be able to find them…"

"No!" Chi-Chi cried out. Bulma stared at her. "I mean, that's not necessary."

"Why isn't it necessary?" Bulma asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't you _want_ to find them?"

"Yes, I do," Chi-Chi said, trying to think of an excuse, "but my boys are strong; they can take care of themselves. And they might not be in West City. They could be visiting their grandfather…it_'s_ Christmas after all. I could just call him up to make sure."

"Okay," Bulma replied, eyeing her rather suspiciously. "You can use my phone… who _is_ their grandfather, anyway?"

Chi-Chi hesitated. "The Ox-King."

"_The Ox-King_?" Bulma shrieked, stepping back.

"Yeah… why?" Chi-Chi asked nervously.

"Oh… no reason," she replied a little too quickly. "There's a phone by the gravity training room. Goku, you stay here, I need to have a word with you."

Chi-Chi, of course, had no intention of using the phone, but was glad to get out of the room anyway. What was Bulma's problem? Why did she speak about her father like he was something to be… _afraid _of? Her father had done some horrible things in his past… but now he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Well, it was obvious that Bulma didn't trust her. She just hoped she wouldn't convince Goku not to trust her either…

She went into the hallway and sat down next to the door of the gravity room. Bits and pieces of Goku and Bulma's conversation were audible from the other room.

"I'm only telling you what I heard," she heard Bulma telling Goku. "I don't know if it's true or not, but I'd still keep an eye on her, Goku."

"That's ridiculous, Bulma!" Goku's voice said incredulously. "Even if it's true, Chi-Chi's a good person!"

"How do you know for sure?" Bulma questioned. "You just met her! There's something fishy about her. She keeps making excuses for not being able to find her children."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe she doesn't even have children. Maybe she's lying…"

"I know if she were lying. She wouldn't be able to ride Nimbus, but she can, so I believe her."

Chi-Chi rested her face in her hands. _Kami, what mess have I gotten myself into? _she wondered.

At that moment, Trunks emerged from the room, sweaty and smug from his training. He wore a glare on his face that made him strongly resemble Vegeta.

"Hello, Trunks," Chi-Chi said without thinking.

Trunks stared at her. "Lady, do I know you?" 

Chi-Chi shook her head. Same smart-mouthed Trunks. "Probably not," she said grimly. "What are you doing training? Don't you want to go see what presents you got?"

"None of your business," Trunks snapped. "Besides, presents are for babies!"

Bulma, hearing Trunks's voice walked into the room. "Hi, honey!" Bulma said in a false cheery voice. "Why don't you take a break from your training? Dinner is going to be ready soon…"

"I don't care," Trunks said coldly. "I only came out to get a snack." 

Goku stepped out of the room. "Oh, hi Trunks!" he beamed, waving at him. Trunks just ignored him. Goku's face fell. 

Chi-Chi's confusion arose. What was wrong with Trunks? He seemed so… angry.

"Trunks, you need to stop this," Bulma said angrily. "I understand that it's been hard for you, but your father ---…"

"Don't talk to me about my father!" Trunks yelled. "My father was a great Saiyan warrior… and I won't stop training until I'm stronger than he was! I don't need you or anybody else!" He stormed back into the gravity room.

"His father?" Chi-Chi asked a distraught Bulma. "What about his father? Where is he?"

"He's… he's gone," Bulma said faintly, wiping tears from her eyes.

Chi-Chi stared at her, thunderstruck. Vegeta was dead?

"Um, maybe we'd better go," Goku said softly. "I'm really sorry about all this Bulma. Don't worry, though, he'll come around…"

"I hope so, Goku," Bulma said sadly. "Take care of yourself…" She lowered her voice. "And remember what I said…"

"Okay… bye!" Goku said hastily, and before Chi-Chi could ask or do anything, he took her by the hand and ran off.

***

It was sundown by the time they returned to Grandpa Gohan's house. "I'm sorry we couldn't find your family, Chi-Chi," Goku said, jumping off the cloud.

"That's all right," Chi-Chi said distractedly. Her mind was still reeling from everything she had seen. 

"You're more than welcome to stay at my house until we find them," he offered.

"Thank you," she said softly. _Even after whatever Bulma told him, he still trusts me, _she realized, feeling a stab of guilt. Even though she only lied to him because she had no other choice, it still felt like she was taking advantage of him.

There was no time to dwell on this, however. She had to find out what was going on…

"What happened to Trunks's father?" she asked as they went inside. 

Goku suddenly looked uncomfortable. "He was killed not too long ago. I'd explain, but it's a long story… and I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

"I've seen a lot of things in my life that are unbelievable," Chi-Chi replied firmly. "Believe me, I can handle it. Just tell me everything."

Goku still looked uncertain. "I don't really know where to start," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Start after the World Martial Arts Tournament."

"The one that was almost a year ago?" he inquired.

"No, no… the last one you were in. With Pic --- I mean Ma Junior. I saw you fight in that one," she added hastily, telling the closest thing to the truth as possible. She wanted to know what had happened to Goku during all these years… from when they were supposed to have gotten married to the present. She had thought that everything would have stayed more or less the same without her. Yet now with Piccolo evil and Vegeta dead, she wasn't so sure.

"Well, after the Tournament, Kami wanted me to be Guardian of Earth, but it seemed too boring to do," Goku began. "So I just came back here… I'd been gone for years, and I didn't know where else to go…"

It had started out the same, with the exception of Goku and Chi-Chi getting married and having Gohan, of course. Instead, he had maintained a simple life of training (and eating) in his grandfather's home. He was more than able to survive on his own, and so he lived contently. He was invited to Master Roshi's house five years later for a reunion with his friends, Bulma and Krillin.

And then Raddiz came, revealing that Goku was a Saiyan sent to Earth to destroy it. He had offered Goku to join him, but he had refused, point-blank. Raddiz retaliated by threatening to destroy the entire planet unless Goku killed a hundred Earthlings within twenty-four hours.

Piccolo arrived on Master Roshi's island shortly after Raddiz had left. He and Goku teamed up and tracked down Raddiz. At the time, Raddiz had been too powerful an opponent for him, so Goku had to sacrifice himself to save the planet. He held Raddiz while Piccolo used his Special-Beam-Cannon to kill them both. Before Raddiz died, however, he revealed the future coming of two other Saiyans who were stronger than he was…

"Aha!" Chi-Chi interrupted triumphantly. "So Piccolo did help you!"

Goku gave her a funny look. "It was the only time he ever did. He only fought Raddiz because he was too scared to take him down when he first encountered him…" He smirked. "And to kill me too…"

"You mean he _didn't_ help you fight the other two Saiyans?" Chi-Chi asked, surprised.

Goku shook his head. "No… at least, not until it was too almost too late. You know, you're taking this pretty well so far."

"What?" Chi-Chi asked, bewildered.

He smiled rather shyly. "I thought you would have freaked out if you knew I'm an alien."

"Actually, some of my good friends have been aliens," she said truthfully.

"Really?" he exclaimed. "Wow, I'll have to meet them sometime!"

"So what happened next?" she asked, although she knew.

Goku proceeded to tell her about his journey to Other World and his training under King Kai. A year later, Vegeta and Nappa arrived on Earth, seeking the dragon balls. Goku was wished back to life. He came to the battlefield, horrified to find that his friends, Yamcha, Tien, and Chaotzu had already been killed. 

Krillin was the only survivor, so Goku made him go back to Master Roshi's. Vegeta killed Nappa so he could face Goku himself, and they fought. Vegeta used the full moon (which Piccolo hadn't destroyed, since Gohan was never born) to turn himself into a giant ape and crush Goku to death.

"What?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, horrified. "You died, _again_?"

"Uh-huh." Goku nodded.

"But that's not right!" she said, shaking her head. "You aren't supposed to die until…"

__

Until Cell came, is what she intended to say. Fortunately, she caught herself and quickly said, "… until you're really old."

Goku shrugged. "It happens."

"I don't understand," she said, confused. "If you died, than who stopped Vegeta from destroying the planet?"

"It was Piccolo," Goku explained. "He came just after he delivered the final blow. He used his laser beam to cut off Vegeta's… tail… and then he convinced him that the dragon balls on Namek were much more powerful than the ones on Earth. So he left Earth.

"My friends wanted to wish me and my dead friends back, so Krillin and Bulma built a spaceship and flew off to Namek."

"What did you do in the meantime?"

Goku grinned. "I just trained to get stronger so I could fight Vegeta again… and win. But King Kai didn't want me to go to Namek because of Frieza." He then explained how Frieza had been the one to destroy the Saiyan race.

Krillin and Bulma gathered the Namekian dragon balls and used them to wish Goku back to life and transported him to Namek. Goku fought the Ginyu force, and later fought Frieza after he had killed Vegeta… Frieza killed Krillin and Goku turned into a Super-Saiyan…

Here, Goku had powered up to a Super Saiyan to show Chi-Chi what it had looked like. Chi-Chi smiled and applauded him, remembering how freaked out she had been, seeing both Goku and Gohan in Super Saiyan forms…

To make a long story short, the story returned to the version Chi-Chi was used to. Everyone Frieza had killed, except for Krillin, was resurrected by Earth's dragon balls and transported from the dying planet by the Namekian ones. Goku defeated Frieza and escaped to Yardat just before the planet exploded, and so on…

It wasn't until Goku got to the part when the Androids came that the story took another unfamiliar turn. Mirai Trunks had arrived from the future to give Goku the medicine _after _Goku had returned to Earth and defeated Frieza and King Cold by himself…

"Why couldn't he beat Frieza and his father?" Chi-Chi demanded. "I mean, he was Vegeta's son, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but he wasn't strong enough," Goku replied. "In his timeline, no one had really given him proper training…"

__

Because Gohan wasn't there to train him, she thought. Then she stopped. It was difficult enough to figure out how this timeline had changed without her. Thinking about the mirai timeline changing, now _that_ would be mind-boggling.

"Go on," she urged him.

So Goku trained for another three years… then the Androids came, and Goku had come down with the heart virus. Then Cell came and absorbed the other Androids. Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train for the Cell Games… 

Except Goku had trained for many days, not just one. Chi-Chi supposed that he had nothing to hold him back from training this time. The only reason he didn't train harder for Cell before was because he wanted to spend time with his family --- and he'd also been counting on Gohan to be the one who would defeat Cell.

But Gohan had never been born, so Goku alone had to fight Cell, and nearly succeeded in beating him. Cell then attempted to blow himself up, along with the Earth, but Goku again sacrificed himself by using Instant Transmission to get Cell to King Kai's planet, where he died, again.

And here was the twist: just like in the "normal" Cell Games, Cell was able to use his cells to regenerate himself back on Earth. 

"So how did you beat him?" Chi-Chi asked. "I mean, you were dead, and there was no one else who was powerful enough to stop him…"

"King Yemma let me go back to Earth to finish the job," Goku informed her. "Afterwards, my friends used the dragon balls to wish back the people Cell killed. They wanted to wish me back too, but I told them that they'd be safer without me."

_Figures, _she thought. _Even without his family, he wants everyone to be safe._

"You're alive now, though," she pointed out. "How did you come back?"

"After seven years, Baba brought me back to life for one day so I could see my friends and fight in the next Tournament. Everything was going fine, until I met the Supreme Kai and Kabito…"

And now this was when history had really changed. It had been Goku, not Gohan, who had faced off against Kabito in the Tournament. It had been Goku's energy that was stolen by Spopavitch, the minion of the wizard Babadi.

Kabito and the Supreme Kai had healed Goku and told him about Babadi attempting to revive the monster Majin Buu. They, Krillin, and Vegeta followed Spopavitch directly to Babadi…

Babadi caused Vegeta to return to his evil self and forced Goku to fight, while transferring their energy lost to Majin Buu. Meanwhile, the Supreme Kai tried to stop the revival, but his attempt was in vain. Buu was revived.

Once Goku had sensed Buu's ki, he persuaded Vegeta to postpone their battle to beat Buu. Vegeta agreed, but knocked out Goku, preferring to take him out by himself.

When Goku regained consciousness, Vegeta was dead; he tried to blow himself up to kill Buu, yet Buu was able to regenerate after the explosion. After he recovered from his injuries, he tracked down Buu himself and defeated Buu in the form of Super Saiyan 3…

"Wait a minute!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "That doesn't make any sense… you defeated him just like that?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, let me show you." His eyes turned teal, as it had done when he was a Super Saiyan. This time, however, his hair not only went from black to gold, but also grew down to his waist.

"Oh my goodness!" Chi-Chi gasped, jumping back. She had never seen this form of Super Saiyan before; Goku looked more like an alien now than he ever did!

Goku, seeing her shock, powered down, his hair and eyes changing back to normal. "Sorry, did I scare you?" he asked, concerned.

"No, no…" Chi-Chi said, taking deep breaths. "I'm just not used to seeing you like that, that's all. But this doesn't make any sense… I thought that Super Saiyan 3 hadn't been powerful enough to defeat Buu."

"Sure, it is!" Goku replied. "I'm proof! Who told you that?"

_Then how come it didn't work before? _she wondered. _Why did he want Goten and Trunks to fuse in order to defeat Buu? _And then it dawned on her: _He was probably holding back; he wanted Goten and Trunks beat him on their own… after all, he only had a day to be alive then, and he wanted to be sure someone would defend Earth when he was gone…_

"Anyway, the Supreme Kai granted me his life as a reward," Goku continued. "He said the Earth needed me to defend it. We used the dragon balls to wish back all the people Buu killed… except for Vegeta. He'd already been wished back before."

"Why didn't you just use Namek's dragon balls?" Chi-Chi inquired.

Goku frowned. "We thought about doing that… but Bulma didn't want to," he said sadly. "She thought it would be better just to let Vegeta rest in peace. He died fighting, and she didn't think he'd have it any other way. 

"Trunks took it pretty hard. All he wants to do these days is just train. I think he become strong enough to defeat me, just like his dad wanted to."

"Poor Trunks," Chi-Chi murmured sympathetically. "No wonder he's so angry…"

"He's mad at Bulma for not wishing him back and he's mad at me for not doing anything to help," Goku said grimly. "I guess I deserve it…"

"That is not true!" Chi-Chi said firmly. "You were knocked out; what else could you have done?"

Goku shook his head. "If I'd caught on to what Vegeta was going to do… he never wanted to work together with me." He forced a smile. "But there's no use dwelling on it. What's done is done."

"Okay, so you came back here afterwards," she said. "What about Piccolo? What's he been doing?"

Goku shrugged. "Training I guess. He still wants to kill me. I'd like to see him try." He looked out the window. The sky had turned from red-orange to dark blue. "It's getting pretty late; we'd better get some rest." 

He took off his coat and boots and threw them carelessly to the ground. "I'm sorry I don't have a bed or anything…" He pulled out a couple of blankets that were underneath a small table and tossed one to Chi-Chi.

"It's okay, I don't mind," she said. She removed her own coat and shoes, placing them carefully on the floor. She lay down, careful to keep a distance away from Goku… although it was tempting to move closer to him. 

"Don't worry, we'll start looking somewhere else tomorrow morning," he said, stretching out on the floor. "I promise that we'll find your family."

"Thank you," she replied softly. "Good night, then."

"Night!" he said cheerfully. Within moments, he was asleep.

Chi-Chi stayed awake, looking at the ceiling. So things were different without her… Grandpa Gohan had been right again. Still, everything that had changed was because _Gohan _and _Goten _hadn't been there. All she had done was give birth to them.

__

Is that all I am, the mother of two warriors? she thought bitterly. She watched Goku sleeping. _I love you, Goku, I really do, but I still don't know if **I** to anyone…especially to you._

To be continued…

Mkh2: I hope this chapter answered some of your questions.

Sakura123: Goku is cute. : ) He is one of the funniest characters in DB/DBZ! What scene of _It's A Wonderful Life _were you thinking about?

Nisha: Isn't it obvious what Chi-Chi gave Goku? Oh well, you'll find out in an upcoming chapter… 

I won't tell: I'm glad you thought Goku would be like that. Chi-Chi did teach him lots about common sense… let's compare Goku at the end of DB to Goku during DBZ. As you can see, he's matured a lot since then. Although he will always be trusting and naïve, I think that he knew a lot more about the world in DBZ than in DB.

Lady Athena12: Yes, Chi-Chi is wrong, and she will realize that very soon. 

Lady Thundera: As you can see, a lot didn't happen because of Chi-Chi's absence. For example, in the battle of the Saiyans, Goku would have died if Gohan wasn't there to fight Vegeta; his body was broken and he didn't have a chance of defending himself. Coming up with what would have happened without Goku's family was really hard to do… I hope it's somewhat accurate though.

Kachie-chan: Thank you!

ChiChiko: I know Goku cantake care of himself. He can live on his own, but he didn't know much about good hygiene. When he first met Bulma in DB, she asked him if he'd had a bath recently (because he smelled), and he replied, "What's a bath?" And he didn't know much about manners at the end of DB either… at least when it came to being tactful. Yes, there are going to be some very confusing situations for Goku very soon ;)

Jukka the Sling: Thank you!

SSJ Chika: Yes, _a lot_ has changed… *evil laughter*

Abigail Marie: I hope you liked this chapter. About that special gift… well, I'll just say you're on the right track…

Black Cat: Too naïve? I don't think Bulma and Krillin taught him as much about manners as Chi-Chi did. Yes, Chi-Chi's frustration with Goku is funny… it's not Goku's fault though; he doesn't have any idea what happened or what's going on. He didn't make the wish, after all.

Jessica C: Yes, Vegeta and the other bad guys came to Earth, but the events of the battles changed without Gohan and Goten to help. Sorry, Krillin isn't going to be in the fic. Hmmm… can Chi-Chi reverse the wish? You'll just have to wait and see. Heh, heh, I love keeping secrets.

Sadako: Welcome aboard! If you think I'm evil now, you haven't seen anything yet! There's going to be a chapter that everyone will want to kill me for writing.

AphroditeMe: I haven't read the Buu saga manga yet, so I don't know what Goku does.

Moon girl 16: Can't tell you just yet. Sorry! 

  



	5. Part 5

Part Five

Chi-Chi woke the next morning to find that Goku's sleeping place was empty. At first she was upset --- he just got up and left without so much as a good-bye to her! Then she remembered: they weren't married anymore. It was Goku's house, not hers. He could simply come and go as he pleased.

__

He must have gone out to warm up, she thought, standing up and stretching. _Or he might have gone out hunting for breakfast. _She cringed. _I hope that whatever he brings back isn't bigger than a wolf._

At this time of day, she'd normally be cooking a big breakfast for Goku, Gohan, and Goten, but they were no longer here to enjoy it. Of course Goku was still here, yet he didn't remember her, and that was nearly the same as him being gone.

She sighed. It was the day after Christmas, and she had missed it. She'd been looking forward to spending some quality time with her family. If she hadn't made that wish, she would have easily forgiven them for their absence on Christmas Eve, just as long as they were home on Christmas Day…

Chi-Chi brushed away those treacherous thoughts. _I'd better go out and get some fresh air, _she thought.

She put on her shoes and coat and went outside. She walked a little ways down the woods, where she came upon a hot spring. Grandpa Gohan's house didn't have a bathroom, so she hadn't really cleaned up since Christmas Eve. 

__

Might as well wash up, Chi-Chi thought, shrugging. _I'd look like a hypocrite to Goku for nagging him about hygiene if I didn't._

She removed her clothing, took her hair out of its usual bun, and stepped inside the spring. She relaxed, sinking into the water. The heat felt very nice against the freezing weather. It reminded her of the outdoor bath she had at home… When Gohan was little, he and his father used to playfully splash at each other in it. How they had made her laugh…

She blushed, recalling how she had Goku also used the bath --- and not just once. 

"Careful you don't catch pneumonia," a voice said slyly.

Chi-Chi screamed and turned around. It was Grandpa Gohan. She had a nasty feeling that he had been standing there for quite a while.

"You _pervert_!" she shrieked, ducking so that her head was the _only _part of her that he could see. "Do you always spy on every woman who tries to take a bath! You're lucky that it's cold _and _that you're already dead; otherwise, I'd kill you!"

"Now, really!" Grandpa Gohan said innocently. "You'd think that I'd peep on my own grandson's wife?"

Chi-Chi snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised; Roshi _did_ train you. Don't you dare touch any of my things!" she added furiously. She shuddered to think what Master Roshi would do if he were here instead of Grandpa Gohan.

"All right, you caught me," Grandpa Gohan admitted reluctantly, "but I'm only here to help you. So you've seen how things have changed without you."

"I'll say," Chi-Chi said quietly. "It's so weird. Piccolo's evil… Vegeta's dead and Trunks blames everyone for it. It's awful. And get this: Goku has died three times!"

Grandpa Gohan nodded. "See, you make a difference!"

"You mean _Gohan_ and _Goten_ make a difference," she corrected him. "Not me."

"After all that you saw yesterday, you still don't think that you matter?" Grandpa Gohan asked incredulously. 

"All I did was give birth to them!" Chi-Chi said bitterly.

"And that makes a huge impact!" Grandpa Gohan said impatiently. "Piccolo never would have changed without Gohan's friendship. And Gohan wasn't there to help during most of that battles that happened --- which was why Goku died more than twice."

"It doesn't matter," Chi-Chi said, shaking her head. "I mean, it's horrible that Piccolo is still evil and everything… but things still worked out. Goku was brought back to life and he was able to defeat everything that threatened Earth…"

"What about Trunks?" Grandpa Gohan demanded. "Goten was his only friend! His father pushed him to train all his life, and without Goten, that's all he ever wants to do!"

"But he always liked training!" Chi-Chi replied. "He always wanted to be like his father!"  


"And yet he doesn't have as much fun doing it!" Grandpa Gohan protested. "He treats it as an obsession! He grew up too fast after his father's death."

"I know, I know, and it's awful," she said heavily. "He shouldn't have to go through life without his father… still, that all happened only because my sons weren't there. I never did anything directly that helped anybody."

"What about your father?" he asked.

That question came as a surprise to Chi-Chi. "Well, I'm sure he's all right," she said uncertainly. "Just because I wasn't born, doesn't mean he didn't have another daughter or son, wouldn't he? Although… when I told Bulma I was the Ox-King's daughter, she freaked out. I heard her talking to Goku. I don't know what she said… but I think she heard something awful about my father, and she told Goku to be careful of me…" 

She looked at Grandpa Gohan. "Did something happen to my father that I should know about?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" he replied rather mysteriously.

"Oh great, are you going to disappear again?" she asked irritably.

"Until you wake up and realize how important you are, yes," Grandpa Gohan said. "Don't worry, though, I'll be back." And he disappeared.

Chi-Chi thought about what he had just said. _What could have possibly happened to my dad without me? _she wondered. _I only wished that **I **wasn't born… I didn't wish my father could have children._

A sudden thought occurred to her. Her mother had died a few weeks after was born… she'd gotten ill shortly after giving birth to her. If indeed, she hadn't had any other children… her mother might still be alive.

It was impossible, but she had to know if it was true. And she had to know what happened to her father, no matter how bad it was.

"Hey!"

Chi-Chi almost screamed again, but once she saw who it was, she felt no need to. Goku stood behind her, looking perfectly cheerful as always. 

"Do you _mind_?" Chi-Chi snapped. "I'm trying to take a bath here!" Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have cared if Goku saw her like this. But since they were no longer married, she didn't think it was proper.

"Sorry," Goku apologized. "This morning, I just went out to do my warm-ups. You weren't at the house when I got back, and I got kind of worried. I thought you might have run into another wolf pack or something…"

"_You_ weren't there when I got up this morning," Chi-Chi pointed out. "Why didn't you just wake me up to let me know where you were going?"

"I thought it would be rude if I did," he replied simply. "And anyway, I wasn't gone long."

"That's okay," she sighed. "Could you _please _turn around?"

"What's the big deal?" he asked, turning around so that he could see her. "It's not like I haven't seen a girl taking a bath before."

She was horrified. "_Excuse me_?" 

"When I first met Bulma when I was a kid, she said I needed a bath so she gave me one," he explained. "Afterwards, she took one too, and I walked in, thinking that she needed help, since she didn't have a tail, I like I used to. Not only that, but I could see an extra butt on her chest. She got really mad and started throwing things at me!"

"Oh," Chi-Chi said, feeling quite relieved. "I almost thought that --- never mind." She stopped. _No, he probably wouldn't know about that either, _she told herself. **_I_** was the one who gave him "the talk."

"Well, how would you feel if I was watching while you took a bath?" she asked. She blushed, thinking about what she just said. "On second thought, you probably wouldn't mind, seeing as how you don't think it's such a big deal."

"I guess not," Goku replied, shrugging.

"Figures. It doesn't matter; I'm done anyway. Don't turn around, I'm getting up," she warned him. As quickly as she could, she stood up and got dressed. "Okay, you can look now," she said, putting her hair back into a bun.

Goku turned around. "So, what do you want to eat this morning?" he asked. "Do you want another wolf?"

"Actually, I kind of need to go somewhere today" Chi-Chi replied. "I think my father could help me find my family. Can you take me to his kingdom?"

"Sure!" Goku replied brightly. "But can we eat first? I'm starving!"

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling to herself. "Why not?"

*** 

After eating breakfast of yet another wolf, Goku and Chi-Chi were flying off on the Nimbus again. Since Goku had apparently never met her father before, Chi-Chi had to give him directions to their destinations.

"So you've never met the Ox-King before?" Chi-Chi asked curiously. Surely, Goku would have still met him while searching for the dragon ball with Bulma when he was younger. The only difference would have been that he had never met _her_.

Goku shook his head. "I don't think so. But Bulma's heard of him… she told me yesterday."

"And what exactly did she tell you?" she wondered uneasily.

"Stories, mostly," Goku shrugged. "She's heard that he's this vicious giant who kills anybody who crosses his path. His own people were terrified of him."

"That's not true!" Chi-Chi said angrily. "He used to be that way, but that was years ago! He's changed now!"

"I believe you, I believe you!" Goku exclaimed defensively. "I'm just telling you what Bulma told me."

"Bulma's wrong!" she said flatly. "And I'll prove it today!"

There was a brief period of silence as they soared over the land. "So your dad is a king?" Goku asked finally.

Chi-Chi nodded.

"Then why do you live in the woods --- Your Highness?"

"Because that's where my family lives…" She froze. "_Your Highness_?" she repeated incredulously.

"Isn't that what you call a princess?" Goku inquired. "I mean, if you're a king's daughter, then you are a princess, right?

Chi-Chi was startled. She had never been referred to as a princess in a long time. "Oh, well… yes," she said awkwardly. "I _was _a princess, but I gave all that up so I could get married and have a family… you do know what marriage is, don't you?" she added, on a sudden suspicion.

"Of course!" Goku replied. "My best friend Krillin is married… I told you last night, remember?"

"Right. So you don't have to call me 'Your Highness'. You can just call me Chi-Chi."

He scratched his head. "I don't understand… Don't princesses usually marry princes?" 

"Princesses can marry whoever they choose," Chi-Chi replied with dignity. "And the man I wanted to marry was… a warrior who lived in the woods."

"Did you mind giving all that up?" Goku asked innocently.

"No," she said firmly. "I don't mind living a simple life in the woods, and I love my family. Nothing will ever change that."

"Love?" he repeated, confused. "What's that?"

"You don't know what love is?" she asked in disbelief.

Goku shook his head. "Nope, never heard of it. What is it?"

__

That isn't right, Chi-Chi thought, troubled. _Everyone should have at least experienced love once in his or her life… especially someone like Goku._

"So what's love?" he wanted to know.

Chi-Chi thought hard. How did she explain this to Goku before? "Love is… it's when you care about someone a lot."

"Like when your friends with someone?" he suggested.

"No, that's _platonic_ love," she clarified. "That's when you care someone like you care for a parent."

"Oh, like me and my grandpa!" he said excitedly.

"Exactly," she nodded. "But love is a bit more deeper than that. It's when you have very special feelings for a person. When you'd do anything to protect them --- to make sure they're safe and happy. Some days, these feelings can make you feel absolutely perfect… and other days --- whenever anything bad happens to them or if they leave you --- it makes you feel absolutely miserable."

"Wow," he said, looking thoughtful. "Sounds complicated." 

"It is," she said softly. "I ought to know…"

"Hey, we're coming up on the kingdom," Goku said, looking ahead. Then he froze. "Wait, I remember this place…"

"See, you have met the Ox-King before!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.

"No, I haven't," he said, his face suddenly serious. "But I _have_ been to this place… and it wasn't a good one."

"What do you mean?" Chi-Chi asked, alarmed.

"Are you _sure _your dad lives here?" Goku asked.

"Positive," she replied firmly. "Fly down there."

Goku reluctantly landed in the kingdom, and they both got off Nimbus. "It doesn't look like what you said," Goku commented, looking around.

"Don't be silly, Goku. Everything looks exactly the same as ---" Chi-Chi gasped as she took in her surroundings. 

The prosperous kingdom where she had been raised was now nothing more than a shabby village. Up ahead, she could see the ruins of what used to be a large, elegant castle. Her father's castle…

"Oh Kami!" she murmured, putting a hand to her mouth. She hurried to the rubble, Goku following close behind. "What happened here?"

"It looks like this was burned down a long time ago," Goku said, inspecting the remains of the castle walls. "There are scorch marks here… and here. It must have been a fire." He turned to Chi-Chi. "Did you know about this? How long has it been since you were here?"

"I haven't been here in years," Chi-Chi said tearfully. "There _was_ a fire --- twice actually --- but we put it out, I swear!"

"I'm sure that your dad's okay," Goku assured her. "Just because the castle burned down doesn't mean that he's dead."

"I have to find him!" Chi-Chi said urgently. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. You go right, and I'll go left."

Goku shook his head. "I don't think that such a good idea."

"Why not?" Chi-Chi wanted to know.

"The people here aren't very friendly. I think it would be better if I just stuck with you."

"Look, that's very thoughtful of you," she said impatiently, "but it would be easier for me to find my father." If she did go with him, he'd get suspicious if the man who she claimed was her father didn't even know her.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"That's second time you asked me that stupid question!" she snarled, losing her temper. "Just do what I say and go!"

He looked a little bit hurt. "All right, all right," he muttered. He quickly flew off in the right direction.

"Goku, wait!" she called out, immediately regretting her outburst. He had only been trying to help. It wasn't his fault he was clueless to what was going on; he hadn't made the wish… 

Too late, he had already left. She felt bad, but there wasn't any time to dwell on this. She had to find her father --- and possibly her mother.

She ran to the nearest house in sight, where an old woman was watering her garden. "Excuse me!" she shouted. "Do you know where the king lives?"

"What king?" the old woman asked incredulously. "There hasn't been a king in this place for years!"

"I mean, the Ox-King!" she yelled. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"The Ox-King?" the woman exclaimed in terror. "Don't say that name around me… do you want to give me a heart attack?" She fled back into her house without a word.

Not wasting a moment, Chi-Chi ran to where groups of people were crowded in the middle of the village. "Hey!" she yelled out, waving. "Can you tell me where the Ox-King lives?"

"Who wants to know?" a man asked suspiciously.

"I'm his daughter!" Chi-Chi said. 

At once, she knew she should have said that. The people all glared at her distrustfully. "You're crazy!" a woman said, shaking her head. "He never had a daughter!"

"It's a good thing too," another woman said disdainfully. "I wouldn't want another monster terrorizing our village!"

"He is _not_ a monster!" Chi-Chi said, enraged. "What's going on? Where's my father?" The women glanced at each other, and one of them twirled her finger around her temple.

"The Ox-King is dead," a man said coldly. 

"Yes, and good riddance!" the woman added. The people all nodded and murmured in agreement. "It was his own fault, the beast! All he cared about was his treasure! He hired a sorcerer to create a firewall to surround his castle, but the flames were too strong. It burned down the whole castle with him inside!"

"That's not true!" Chi-Chi cried in disbelief. "Master Roshi put out that fire years ago!"

"Who's Master Roshi?" the man asked. "I never heard of him…"

And then it hit her: the first time her father's castle was on fire was when she had first met Goku. They went to Master Roshi's island to get the Bansho Fan, only to find that it was gone. Instead, Roshi returned to the castle with them, and using the Kamehamaha Wave, he put out the flames himself.

But that had never happened, because she was never born.

"What about my mother?" she asked desperately. "Didn't the Ox-King have a wife?"

The man snorted. "He did, but she died a long time ago. She was a pretty little thing… don't what she saw in him. She got sick and died, and it drove him mad."

"I don't understand…" Chi-Chi muttered, pacing back and forth. "I was never born… that would mean my mother would still be alive, wouldn't it?"

The people, however, had heard enough. Two of the men quickly grabbed her. "She's obviously a lunatic," one of them said. "We'd better take her to the asylum."

"_What?_" Chi-Chi shrieked, struggling to get free. "I'm not crazy… it's all because of that stupid wish…"

The two men started to drag her away, but Chi-Chi quickly elbowed one of them in the gut. The man released his grip on her, and using her free hand, punched the other man in the face, knocking him out cold. 

She then ran for dear life, the other people chasing after her. Although she was a fast runner, the people were starting to gain on her. They easily outnumbered her… and then there was the little matter that she didn't want to hurt them. After all, they were people she had known as a child… 

__

Oh Goku, where are you? she wondered, panic-stricken.

Just as she was thinking this, she felt a rush of wind beside her, and there was Goku, standing in front of her rather protectively.

"What are you doing?" he demanded the people angrily. "Leave her alone!"

"Stay out of this!" one of the men shouted. "This doesn't have anything to do with you!"

"She's my friend!" Goku retorted. "And if you have a problem with her, you've got a problem with me! I don't want to fight you, so stay back!"

Without warning, the man charged at Goku. Goku nailed him with a punch that sent him flying out of sight. "Let's go!" he shouted to Chi-Chi.

Chi-Chi didn't need to be told twice. She hurried towards Goku, who quickly scooped her up, and took off in the air. They flew out of the village, leaving the angry people in their wake.

***

"I don't understand," Chi-Chi said shakily, later that evening. "How could this have happened?"

She'd been in shock over the whole incident the rest of the day. It was hard to believe that --- that place --- had been her childhood home. That her father's loyal subjects had changed into bitter, terrified people. Worst of all, her kindhearted father had been such a monster…

"Well, you said yourself that you hadn't been there a while," Goku said consolingly. "Things change when you're gone."

"But everything was fine when I was last there!" Chi-Chi cried. 

"You must have been gone for a really, really long time," Goku explained. "Bulma, Oolong, and I went there to look for a dragon ball when I was a kid. The people there were really unfriendly back then too. They made Bulma and Oolong so nervous that after we found the dragon ball in the castle ruins, we left as fast as we could!" He paused. "Exactly when we were you there last?"

"When I was a kid," she replied, sniffing. Actually, she had been eighteen, she considered to be a young girl, so it was as close to the truth as she could come up with.

"I didn't even know my father was dead!" she sobbed. She wiped her tears on her sleeve. "Dad --- Dad was so good to me! He always took care of me when I needed him. He was always there for me… and I never appreciated it!"

"Aw, come on, it's not your fault," Goku said softly. "You couldn't have known that it happened…"

She shook her head. "N-No, that's not it. Everything's so screwed up… and I caused it!"

"Now that's no way to talk," he said sternly. "There's no use blaming yourself for things beyond your control."

__

But it **was **in my control, she thought despairingly. _If I hadn't made that stupid wish…_

Goku moved a little bit closer to her. "I'm really sorry," he said, looking sympathetic. "If it makes you feel any better, I never knew my parents either."

She looked up at him. "How's that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked incredulously.

He smiled sheepishly. "That you aren't alone?"

She couldn't help but smile back. "You're very sweet. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier."

"Ah, don't worry about it," he said casually. "Everybody shouts."

Chi-Chi sighed. Maybe Grandpa Gohan was right. Perhaps it was time for her to swallow her pride and wish everything back to normal. Even if she didn't make a difference in Goku's life, everything had been better for Trunks, Bulma, Piccolo, and her father before. There was no reason for them to suffer because of her careless wish… 

Besides, she really missed her family.

"Goku, do you still have the dragon radar?" she asked.

Goku nodded.

"May I see it?" 

"No problem," he replied good-naturedly. He stood up, picked up the radar from the table, and handed it to Chi-Chi. She turned it on, but nothing happened.

"That's strange," she said, worried. "Why aren't the dragon balls showing up on the radar? This thing isn't broken, it is?"

He took the radar from her and tried to turn it on several times. "Oh no, the radar isn't broken," he said simply. "Someone must have used it to make a wish recently. The dragon balls turn into stone after they've been used. You can't use them again until a year has passed."

"_What?_" Chi-Chi gasped in horror.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you that last night?" Goku asked, confused.

_This is impossible, _she thought. _I only used one wish. The dragon balls give you two. Unless…_

And then she remembered: in this world, Shenron only granted _one_ wish. Since Kami had never fused with Piccolo, Dende had never been chosen to be the new Guardian of Earth. And that meant Shenron hadn't been reborn to grant two wishes… 

"Oh Kami!" she moaned, sinking to the ground as she realized her mistake. She had made a wish, so she was stuck in this world… for a whole year, at least! 

"What is it?" Goku asked, sitting down next to her. "What's wrong now?"

Chi-Chi was unable to speak; she just dissolved into tears again.

"There, there," Goku said kindly, patting her shoulder. "It's all right. It'll be okay."

"No," she choked out, shaking her head. "No, it won't. My family… I'll never see them again!"

"Sure you will," he insisted. "You just have to keep your chin up. They wouldn't just abandon you."

If he had only known what had really happened…

Overwhelmed by sorrow, Chi-Chi leaned her head onto his shoulder and cried into the crook of his neck. She felt him stiffen. She quickly realized her mistake.

"I'm sorry," she said hoarsely, backing away from him. "I forgot how much that bothers you."

Goku hesitated. Then he edged a little bit closer to her. "Well," he said slowly, "if it would make you feel better… I don't think I'd mind so much."

"Really?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded.

Slowly, she put her arms around him and leaned her head onto his chest. This time, Goku didn't try and push her away. She had always felt a certain sense of security when she was in his arms, as though everything would be all right just as long as she was with him. He had that effect on people.

She closed in her eyes in contentment, listening to his heartbeat. If she tried, she could pretend that she was back at home, safe with her family. That she had never made the wish and that everything that she had seen was all in her head.

But she couldn't do that. While the embrace calmed her slightly, it did not change her predicament. She knew that Goku was just going along with this to make her feel better. Thanks to her wish, he didn't love her anymore…

Still, she would take what she could get.

***

_Am I doing this right? _Goku wondered.

Chi-Chi had been hugging him for quite some time now. He could feel her tears soak his shirt. Goku couldn't think of what else to do, aside from put an arm around her. It made him feel really uncomfortable…

Yet it felt strange too. In all his life, he had never been this physically close to anyone before… especially a girl. And this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Thinking that he should be doing something else aside from letting her hug him, he gave her an innocent pat on the head. His fingers touched her hair, and he couldn't help but notice how soft and silky it was.

After a while, the tears stopped and her shoulders gradually stopped shaking. "Um, do you feel better now?" he asked finally.

There was no response. "Chi-Chi?" he tried again.

She didn't seem to hear him. He carefully let go of her only to find that she was still holding onto him, though her arms had relaxed considerably. Her breathing was slow and steady. She had fallen asleep.

Needless to say, it was a very awkward moment for him. 

_Now what do I do? _Goku thought, his face burning with embarrassment. _I can't just let her sleep on me all night…and I don't want to wake her._

So he did the only thing he could think of. Ever so gently, he laid her down on the floor and put a blanket over her. She made a slight, miserable noise and turned over to her side without waking up.

Thinking that she'd be a lot more comfortable without her hair put up, he gingerly removed the band from her hair. It spread out like a carpet on the floor.

_Wow, _Goku thought, staring at her. _She's pretty with her hair all loose like that. _He reached out and ran a hand through it. He couldn't help himself; it was so long and it felt so soft…

He came to his senses and pulled his hand back. What was he _doing_? He never thought of girls this way before. And she wouldn't be too happy about this when she was awake. Back when he was a kid, he had learned the hard way that girls wanted plenty of personal space. This had been made perfectly clear every time whenever Bulma had smacked him for giving a girl a "pat-pat"…

And she was married. That meant she belonged to another man, and he respected that.

Goku got out his own blanket and made his own sleeping place on the floor. He felt sorry for her, though. First she got separated from her family, and then she found out that her father was dead…

What _had_ happened to her family, anyway? They couldn't find them anywhere. He was sure that they wouldn't have left her… she was bossy and a little bit loud, but most girls he had known were like that --- especially Bulma.

She was a good person, and he liked her. Why would anyone walk out on someone like her?

Well, until they returned for her, he would look after her. He didn't mind having a guest in his house.

Actually, it was a nice change to have someone else to talk to. True, he didn't mind being alone… yet there were days when he really missed having his grandpa around. He could take care of himself, but he couldn't help but a little bit lonely from time to time. Still, everybody needs somebody to talk to...

Just as Goku was starting to doze off, he heard weeping coming from where Chi-Chi was. "Gohan…" he heard her murmuring faintly. "Goten…"

Startled, he went over to where she lay. She was still sleeping, but she was calling out for her children in her dreams. 

__

Poor Chi-Chi, he thought sadly, bending over her. _She must miss her family a lot. I bet I would too… if I had a family._

She tossed and turned fretfully. "Gohan… Goten… Goku…"

Goku blinked in confusion. Why was she calling out for him? He had only known her for two days. Did someone else she knew have his name?

"Gohan… Goten… Goku…" she kept moaning.

Well, whatever the reason this was could wait. Right now, she was upset. He stroked her back in an attempt to calm her down, which seemed to be working. She let out a little sigh and lay peacefully on the ground.

_Maybe I should stay with her for a little while, just to make sure she doesn't have any more bad dreams, _Goku thought, curling up next to her. He'd go back to his own blanket when he was certain that she was okay. 

He felt oddly protective of her at this moment. Not the kind of protectiveness he felt towards his other friends or Earth… no, this was different. It was really weird… but a _good_ kind of weird.

Well, she was alone right now; she probably needed a friend. And that's what he would be to her for now: a friend.

To be continued…

A/N: You couldn't expect me to write a G/CC without having any cute moments, could you? Happy New Year to everybody!

Sakura123: My parents got _It's A Wonderful Life _on DVD for Christmas, which is good because I can just skip to the part when George wishes he was never born. I think this chapter was similar to the part when George sees how Bedford Falls has changed without him. See if you can spot more IAWL similarities in later chapters. I've seen "The Dead Zone", "The Tree of Might", both Cooler movies, and the Bardock and Mirai Trunks specials (which are my personal favorites).

I won't tell: Chi-Chi doesn't really impact Trunks in this story… I mean, she _did _impact him, because Goten was her son, and he is Trunks' only friend. Without Goten, Trunks would be lonely… he doesn't have anyone to get into trouble with him. LOL!

SSJ Chika: Yes, Goku is alone without her. More details on that in the next chapter.

Lady Thundera: I know I should have written the story earlier to end it in time for Christmas, but I really wanted to see how Goku was in his early teens before he married Chi-Chi so I'd get the characterization of him (without Chi-Chi) right. Oh well, it doesn't matter, I hope people will still read it anyway. I agree, those people are idiots. You don't know how annoyed I get when I see fics that portray that Chi-Chi and Goku don't love each other. 

Kachie-chan: Thank you!

Nisha: Thank you!

Lady Athena: I don't like Bulma either. *high fives Lady Athena* I had a feeling you'd comment on her behavior in the last chapter ;) Don't worry, she won't try to get close to Goku… in fact, that's pretty much the only time you'll see her in this fic. Chi-Chi does kick ass; my brother and I loved the episode of Dragon Ball where she and Goku meet up with Pilaf and his lackeys, and they try to use her as a hostage, and she totally beats them up! LOL! Actually, I do have another fanfic idea that demonstrates how many butts she can really kick…

Mkh2: I'm sorry, the last line of the chapter was supposed to be: "I love you Goku, I really do, but I still don't if I make a difference to anyone… especially to you." Damn typos… thank you for catching that! What do you mean by "modern feral child stories"?

Chuquita: I think most of your questions were answered in this chapter. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Vegeta will not be the only casualty in this fic. *laughs evilly*

SSJ Marik: Obviously, you have missed the point of the entire story. Goku would not, I repeat WOULD NOT, be better off without Chi-Chi. True, he'd be free to do whatever he wanted, but he wouldn't have a family. That may not bother him much at first, since he's used to being alone. It would eventually, though. Everybody gets lonely without friends or family. If you don't like G/CC fics, then I suggest you do not read my story.

Abnormal-girl: Thank you!

Joanna: Thank you!

Abigail Marie: Thank you!

Sage of Shadows: Thank you!

Dark-mean-me: Believe me, it's about to get even more messed up. 


	6. Part 6

Disclaimer: Some of the scenes in this chapter were inspired from the movie _Finding Nemo_. If you haven't seen the movie, then I highly recommend it.

Part Six

_Chi-Chi was in bed with Goku late one night. She couldn't sleep; she was savoring the fact that her husband was home after seven long years. A week had passed since he had returned, and she and her family couldn't have been happier._

Just then, she heard someone crying in the hallway. She started to get out of bed when Goku, who was apparently awake, got out first and peered out of their bedroom door. "Goten?" she heard him whisper. "What's wrong, little guy?"

Goten walked into the room, his little face tear-streaked. For some reason, Chi-Chi remained in bed, pretending to be asleep.

"G-Gohan's still not back," Goten said, sniffing. Gohan was on a date with Videl. The couple had been spending a lot of time together ever since the battle with Majin Buu. Chi-Chi knew that Goten wasn't used to his big brother to be gone so long. The two of them were very close; they even shared the same room.

"Well, he's with Videl tonight, but he'll be back soon," Goku reassured him.

"It's not that," Goten cried, shaking his head. "I --- I had a nightmare that Majin Buu came back, and he killed Momma and Gohan! When I woke up, Gohan wasn't there, and I got scared!"

"Hey, don't cry," Goku said, giving him a hug. "Majin Buu's gone. Gohan's fine. So is Mom --- see, she's here with me, and I won't let anything happen to her."

Gohan nodded shakily. "Can I sleep with you and Mom tonight? My room is empty without Gohan."

"Sure you can," Goku said warmly. "But don't wake your mom, okay?"

Goten crawled into bed with his mother. "Night, Momma," Chi-Chi heard Goten whisper as he cuddled against her.

Goku got into bed as well. He wrapped one arm around Chi-Chi's waist and placed another around Goten, so that he was holding the two of them. "Won't let anything happen to you," he whispered before going back to sleep.

Chi-Chi smiled as she watched the two of them. They were so much alike: their identical appearances, their innocence, and their gentleness…

**My boys, **she thought fondly, giving them each a soft kiss on the forehead. **What would I do without you?**

Memories such as these haunted Chi-Chi in her dreams the entire night. They were so vivid and real that she could have sworn that she was back home.

In fact, she could still feel Goku's arm around her…

Chi-Chi opened her eyes and to her surprise, Goku was indeed right next to her, sound asleep, his arm draped around her shoulders. She had a feeling that he had been there all night.

Her confusion arose, as well as her curiosity. He _did_ let her hug him last night, but why was he still holding her? She thought that he hated that now…

She sat up, carefully pulled Goku's arm off her, and gently shook his shoulders. Goku blinked, sitting up bemusedly. Then he saw her staring at him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, backing away. "I'm sorry --- I know I shouldn't have done that … You were having a nightmare or something. I didn't think that you should be alone, so I stayed with you. I meant to go back as soon as you calmed down, only I dozed off…"

"No, no, it's all right," Chi-Chi reassured him. "Actually, that was really nice of you. I'm just surprised you did that, that's all."

She suddenly saw her band on the floor beside her. Strange, she didn't remember taking it out of her hair. She stared at Goku thoughtfully. He always did like it loose…

"How are you feeling today?" Goku asked.

Chi-Chi sighed. "Not so good," she said sadly. How could she be feeling good? Her father was dead, her sons were gone, some of her friends were suffering, and her husband didn't know her --- all thanks to her and that stupid wish.

"So… why were calling out my name last night?" Goku asked curiously.

"_What?_" Chi-Chi asked stupidly.

"When you were having a nightmare, you were calling out for your sons, Gohan and Goten," he explained. "Then you started calling out my name too. Do you know someone else who has my name?"

_Oh, great, how in Kami's name am I going to talk my way out of this one? _she wondered, panic-stricken. 

"Um, no," she stammered. "You're the only Goku I know."

"Then why were you calling out for me?" he asked, looking mildly startled. "You've only known me for a few days."

"Well, people sometimes say weird things in their sleep," she said nervously.

"Oh, okay," Goku said, nodding. "That makes sense." 

Chi-Chi was relieved. She couldn't afford to let any more incidents like that happen again. Even though she didn't think it was right to lie to him, she couldn't tell him the truth.

She sighed and lay back down on the floor. Goku stared at her. "Aren't you going to get up?" he wanted to know.

She shook her head. "Not right now," she said moodily. The idea of being apart from her family for a year --- just when they were all back together again --- upset her so much that she didn't feel like doing anything at the moment.

Goku, of course, wouldn't hear any of this. "C'mon, it's too nice of a day to spend inside!" he pleaded.

"So what?" she said in a hollow voice. "It's not going to change the fact that my family is gone."

"So you're just going to mope around until they get back?" he asked incredulously. "How is that going to solve all your problems?"

"It's not!" Chi-Chi snapped. "Nothing can."

"Well, I don't think that your family would want you to do that," he said, putting on his boots and his coat. "Would they?"

"Judging from your reaction, no," she replied indifferently, "but I don't care. I need be alone."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Yes," she said, turning to her side. "Just go out and do your training or something. I'll see you later."

"All right, fine," he said, shrugging. "Suit yourself." He left.

She frowned. This wasn't like Goku --- at least the Goku she knew. He wouldn't have given in so easily. If she acted that way around him, he would have dragged her outside if he had to…

But that was when he loved her, and now he only thought of her as a friend. That was probably it…

Her mind returned to her current situation. She was trapped in this world for at least a year. The only sensible thing to do was to wait a year for the dragon balls to reactivate. She hated being separated from her family for years at a time, but there was nothing else she could do.

Yet a horrifying a thought occurred to her: Shenron had never granted a wish that involved someone never being born before. What if he couldn't undo her wish? What if she was stuck like this forever? What would she…

Just then, something cold and wet hit her squarely in the face. Chi-Chi shrieked and jumped to her feet, brushing snow off her face. Goku was standing in the doorway, doubled over with laughter.

"_GOKU!_" she screamed in outrage. Without even bothering to put her hair up, she threw on her coat and shoes and started towards him. Goku, still laughing, quickly ran back outside. 

"There won't be any snow left in the world by the time I'm through with you!" Chi-Chi yelled, chasing him all around the woods. She scooped up as much snow as she could and hurled it at him, missing him by an inch. Goku retaliated by throwing another snowball at her. She ducked neatly, and threw another at him, which hit him directly in the stomach…

They went on like this for most of the morning, until the two of them lay on the ground, exhausted from their snowball fight. Both of them were completely covered with snow, and laughing so hard they were sore.

"Sorry about that," Goku apologized, grinning broadly. "It was the only thing I could think of to get you moving."

"It's okay," Chi-Chi said happily, wiping snow off her coat. "I haven't had a good snowball fight in years!"

"You should have seen the look on your face when I hit you!" Goku laughed. "It was so funny!"

"Ha, ha, ha," Chi-Chi said sarcastically. "Well, thank you… you were right, this was a lot better than just staying inside, feeling sorry for myself. We'd better go back inside…"

"Oh no, we're not!" Goku said brightly. "I'm not done with you yet!" He stood up. "Nimbus!" The little yellow cloud zoomed down from the sky and stopped in front of them.

"Goku, this was a lot of fun, but I think I'm all worn out!" Chi-Chi tried to protest. "Aren't the least bit worn out? Or hungry?"

"Nope!" Goku said happily, helping her up. "And we'll eat when we get there!"

"Get where?" Chi-Chi asked, confused. He didn't respond; he merely lifted her up onto Nimbus, got on, and took off in the air.

***

What Goku had planned was to take Chi-Chi to an island in the Southern Hemisphere of the world. He thought that the warm weather would help cheer her up.

Even he got sick of the snow sometimes in the winter, so he had taken off to warmer places for the day. 

There weren't a lot of people on the island, so the two of them had the entire beach to themselves. Throughout the entire day, they strolled around the beach, played in the ocean, or just simply lay on the sand to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

"This was a really good day," Chi-Chi said lazily, later that evening. Goku had built a campfire on shore, and was cooking a fish that he had caught. The sun was setting, reflecting a fiery glow across the waves. "You do these sort of things all the time?"

"Yeah," Goku nodded absent-mindedly. He had never minded exploring alone before --- yet it was a lot more fun now that he had someone to share these kinds of things with.

Chi-Chi took a bite of her fish. "I just wish… that my sons were here to see this," she sighed. "They would have loved this."

"What about your husband?" Goku asked curiously.

Chi-Chi almost choked on her food. "What?" she asked nervously.

"Your husband," Goku clarified. "You can't have children without a husband, can't you? I mean, I don't really know how _exactly_ you have children, only I know that you have to have a husband… or a wife, depending if you're a man or woman. And you said yesterday that you married a warrior, didn't you?"

For some reason, Chi-Chi suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well, yes, I am," she said nervously. "Or I _was_."

"What you mean?" Goku inquired. "Did something happen?"

"He --- um ---" she stammered. "He died."

"Oh," he said sympathetically. "I'm very sorry to hear that. When did it happen?"

"Seven years ago," she replied, looking away.

"Then what was he like?" he asked eagerly. "And your sons --- tell me about them too!" He really wanted to know more about Chi-Chi and her family.

"Oh…" Chi-Chi suddenly looked uncomfortable again. It was almost as though she didn't want to talk about them. "Well, my husband is --- _was_ --- a good man. He was one of the strongest fighters I've ever met, and he was also the gentlest. He certainly lived each day to the fullest…" 

Goku noticed that she was staring at him rather forlornly as she said all this.

"Before we got married, we had a lot of adventures," she recalled. "I remember this one time, when we were in a cave, looking for this bird called the Fire-Eater. Suddenly, out of the darkness, a huge dragon came out at us. I was scared, but he wasn't."

"Did he fight him?" Goku asked.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "I thought he was going to, but he didn't. Instead, he just walked up to him, and patted him on the head. He apologized to the dragon for disturbing it. And do you know what? The dragon didn't attack; he just went back into its home."

"Wow," Goku was amazed. "Why did you stop having adventures after you got married?"

"Oh, we still had some, from time to time… until I had our first son, Gohan," Chi-Chi explained. "Then I had to take care of our family. I didn't want Gohan to be a fighter like his father."

"What?" Goku asked in surprise. "How come?"

"I saw my husband fight plenty of times, and he always got hurt. Even though he could handle himself, I was always scared that I would lose him someday. I couldn't stop him from fighting, but I could stop Gohan. I wanted him to get a good education and become a scholar. I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to him."

"That's a funny thing to promise," Goku said thoughtfully.

"What's so funny about it?" Chi-Chi asked incredulously. "All I wanted was for him to be safe!"

"Well, you can't _never_ let anything happen to him, then _nothing_ would ever happen to him!" Goku replied with a laugh. "That wouldn't be much fun for him, would it?

"That's exactly what his father would have said," she said wistfully. "When Gohan grew up, he fought in battles with his father, no matter how many times I forbade him to. It wasn't until after his father died in battle when I realized that I couldn't stop him from fighting. That's why I trained our second son, Goten."

She paused. "Sometimes I wished I could have taken back all the times I was so overprotective of them."

"Hey, you thought you were doing what was right," he said consolingly. "I'm sure that's what any mother would have done."

"How do you know?" she wondered. "You never had a mother."

Goku shrugged. "No, but Bulma is Trunks's mom, and sometimes she used to tell Vegeta off for training him so hard when he was alive."

Silence fell between them. It was night now; stars were scattered throughout the sky like ornaments on those Christmas trees Goku had seen. Chi-Chi stared out at the ocean, the campfire illuminating her face. A cool breeze ruffled her hair slightly. She pulled the shawl around her shoulders a little closer to her.

__

She is very pretty, Goku couldn't help but think. More than just pretty, actually. When she was calm and happy… he thought she was quite beautiful.

A strange feeling struck Goku somewhere between his neck and his stomach. It was similar to the protective feeling of her he had last night. He felt serene yet strangely ecstatic. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before…

__

What's wrong with me? he wondered. _I've never thought about girls like this before. I like her, but not like I like any of my friends…_

"Are your sons really strong?" he asked, wanting to break the silence.

"Very strong," she replied.

"Wow!" Goku said excitedly. "When they come back for you, I'll have to spar with them sometime!"

"Hmmm," Chi-Chi said, yet she seemed a little bit sad. "We'd better go back, it's getting pretty late." She picked up her coat and shoes, which she had taken off earlier. "This was really nice; we'll have to do something like this again."

"Maybe tomorrow night?" Goku suggested shyly. He used a small Kamehamaha Wave to put out the campfire. "I mean, if it will help you feel better until your family gets back…"

Chi-Chi beamed. "Why not?"

They climbed onto Nimbus and took off in the air. Goku felt Chi-Chi holding onto his arm, and found himself blushing. 

__

I hope that she stays for a little while longer, he thought. _I do want her to find her family; they must miss her a lot… Maybe if I ask, she'll let me come over to her house for dinner or something. That would be nice… _

Looking at the starry sky, he found that he had never felt happier. He did not understand this strange feeling he had when he was around Chi-Chi. Whatever it was, though, he knew that he liked it.

***

During the next few days, Chi-Chi did become more optimistic about her situation. Even though everything else was still wrong and she still missed her family terribly, at least she was still with Goku --- despite the fact that they weren't married any longer. It seemed to make the long wait she would have to endure before seeing her family slightly more bearable.

Every day, Goku did as much as possible to take her mind off her worries. They took walks around the forest, flew around to different places, had more snowball fights… things that they used to do before Raddiz came. 

"Are you sure you don't mind missing training while I'm here?" Chi-Chi kept asking anxiously.

"Ah, I can train anytime," was Goku's constant response. "Besides, this is a lot more fun!"

Chi-Chi also noticed a slight change in Goku's behavior. He was friendly as always, yet sometimes he acted strange. For example, she sometimes caught him staring at her for no apparent reason at all. He also blushed whenever she touched his hand, and didn't seem so uncomfortable whenever she hugged him. In fact, sometimes _he _hugged _her_.

Okay, so it wasn't so strange; actually, he acted this in the early days of their marriage or whenever they were alone. 

But Chi-Chi had thought that her wish to never be born had changed all that. That Goku no longer cared for her in that way, and that the only thing she could hope to be for the time being was his friend.

__

Does remember what we had? she kept wondering. _No, that's impossible… he can't remember what no longer exists. Maybe… he's starting to have feelings for me? Feelings that he used to have?_

All signs of his behavior certainly pointed to that explanation. Chi-Chi would have been glad… but instead she felt really, really guilty. She was still lying to him about her family --- or rather, _their_ family.

She was in a constant debate with herself. Part of her kept insisting that it was the only way, even though it was wrong. That Goku would never believe her. All she had to do was keep up the charade until a year had passed, then she'd ask him to help her look for the dragon balls and undo her wish…

Yet she was beginning to think of other reasons why she _should_ tell him the truth. First of all, he had the right to know; her wish didn't just change her life, it changed almost all of the people she knew. 

Second of all, there was a big possibility that he _would _believe her. Sure, he'd be freaked out, but hadn't he believed Mirai Trunks when he had claimed that he was from the future? He knew that the dragon balls had the power to change lives, so her story might be somewhat believable…

And finally, Goku could help her get her wish granted fast than a year. Using his Instant Transmission, he could take her to Planet Namek and use their dragon balls. Only Porunga probably couldn't undo a wish that Shenron had granted… still, it was worth a try.

Besides, times of peace didn't last forever, even if she wanted them to. Suppose a new threat came to Earth, and what if the dragon balls needed to be used to bring back people who would die? What if Goku had to defend the Earth again? What if something happened to her… or worse, _him_?

She could handle waiting a year, but not without him...

***

Two weeks after she had made the wish, Chi-Chi and Goku were sitting in the house. There was a huge snowstorm that night, and although the house was drafty, it was still a great deal warmer inside than outside.

"Do you think maybe your family hasn't found you yet because of the weather?" Goku asked her. "It does snow a lot in the woods… maybe they're waiting until it melts to find you?"

"It could be," Chi-Chi said carefully. "It does snow a lot where we live… and they know I wouldn't want them to get hurt --- not that I could stop them…"

"Are you worried that they're hurt?" Goku asked, concerned.

"A little bit," Chi-Chi lied. If she had really gotten separated from Gohan and Goten, she wouldn't have been just "a little bit worried" --- she would have been panicking.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're okay," he said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's probably just taking them a while, that's all."

Chi-Chi felt another pang of guilt. She was getting sick of telling Goku all these lies… she had to tell him the truth. Naïve though he was, he'd find out eventually, and he'd be even more hurt that she lied to him.

And still she was reluctant. She still didn't think that Goku needed her that much. He did love her, there was no doubt in her mind about that --- but to love someone and to need someone were two entirely different things, in her opinion. 

She wanted to know once and for all: did she make a difference in Goku's life?

"Goku," she said quietly, "do you mind if I ask you something personal."

"No, go right ahead," he said good-naturedly.

"Have you ever considered having a family?"

That question took Goku by surprise. "Um… well, I'm not sure," he said awkwardly. "I haven't really given it much thought. Krillin and Bulma keep asking me if I'm ever going to, you know, meet someone and settle down. They keep saying that I can't just live alone forever…

"And Krillin says that it _is_ nice. You have people to take care of… and sometimes they take care of you. I think it would be exciting… it's a different kind of adventure. And I like kids, but…"

"But what?" Chi-Chi asked curiously.

"I don't think I'd be good at it," he admitted softly.

Chi-Chi was shocked. "What? Oh Goku, that's not true! You're a --- I mean, you would make a great father!" Despite the times he had been irresponsible, left to fight, or whisked Gohan off to train, he really was a good, caring father --- and a good husband.

"Well, I have to defend Earth most of the time," he said quietly. "What if I do have a family and some new threat comes and tries to use them as a distraction to fight me? I wouldn't want them to get hurt. Even if I could bring them back with the dragon balls, I don't know how I'd feel if I my family."

"But you never _had_ a family," she pointed out. "How would you know how you'd feel?"

"No, but I still remember how much it hurt when my grandpa died," he replied. "I think it would probably ten times worse. I don't know much about families, but I've seen and met plenty of them to have an idea how close they are. Look at Bulma and Trunks --- they were devastated when Vegeta died. I wouldn't want something like that to happen if I died again."

Chi-Chi was astonished. Without a family, she assumed that Goku would be oblivious to these sorts of things. But his friends still had families, and seemed that he learned a lot just by seeing how they functioned. And they had taught him a little bit about families, though not as much as she had.

"Well, do you think you might have a family someday?" she asked. "Do you really want to be by yourself for the rest of your life?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. I mean, I'm okay like this, but I've never really met anyone, you know?"

"What do mean?" she asked, moving a little bit closer to him. "How would you know if you 'met someone'?"

"You'd just know, I guess," he said simply.

__

He never met anyone, a voice inside Chi-Chi's head was saying. _Meaning that he never met **you**. You actually think he would have met someone if you hadn't showed up at the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament and reminded him of his 'promise'?_

Maybe it was happening all over again. Goku's behavior around her seemed to hint that it was…

__

No, it couldn't be, she thought. _But there's only one way to find out…_

"Goku, there's something I want to do," she said slowly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

He wasn't troubled at all by this --- yet. "Okay, what is it?" he asked innocently.

"I want you to close your eyes," she instructed him.

"What?" he asked, puzzled.

"Close your eyes and hold still."

"Okay…" He obeyed. "Now what?"

Chi-Chi hesitated. She wasn't sure if this was such a good idea, and yet the temptation was overwhelming her. It had been building up steadily for the past two weeks, but she had resisted with the knowledge that he wouldn't know what she was doing… 

"What are you waiting for?" Goku asked, his eyes shut tight. "I want to know what you're going to do."

"Well, here goes nothing," Chi-Chi muttered, and leaned up against him. Goku sensed her approaching, opening his eyes slightly. His mouth opened in surprise, but before he could do or say anything, she kissed him full on the mouth.

And everything went hideously wrong.

No sooner had her lips touched his, he suddenly pulled himself out of her grip, looking frightened. "Are you crazy?" he asked in alarm. "What the heck were you _doing_?"

She swallowed. "I --- I'm sorry," she stammered, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. "I-I don't know what came over me." She turned away.

"Oh no, _I'm_ sorry." Goku apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But why did you do that?"

"I thought that --- " Chi-Chi froze, unable to say it aloud. "It's getting late, we'd better get some sleep…" She hastily retreated to her sleeping place and pulled the blanket over her head. "Good night."

She heard Goku approach. "Are you all right?"

"_Just leave me alone!_" she snapped, sounding a little harsher than she had intended. 

She heard him back away and lie down in his own sleeping place. After a while, she allowed herself to cry.

What had she been thinking? Of course Goku wouldn't know what a kiss was, he was just getting used to being hugged! She didn't blame him; it hadn't been his idea…

For a few moments, she had almost thought that she would have been able to bring back what they had together. She had almost thought that he was falling in love with her again. He was probably just being nice to her because he thought she had lost her family.

What they had was special and rare, and she could never bring it back.

She pulled the blanket off her head. Goku was already sleeping. She gazed at him longingly. 

She regretted her rash wish, but on some level, she'd been right. Goku didn't need her. He was all right living along; he had said it himself. He was perfectly happy until she came along and confused him.

She remembered an old saying: if you someone let them go. Her family was gone, her friends didn't know her, and she didn't exist. Being around him would just bring more painful memories of what she had carelessly thrown away…

She had to let him go.

***

It was still snowing the next morning; however, the winds had died down so it would be a good day for travelling on foot. Chi-Chi rose early and was putting on her shoes and coat, when she noticed that Goku was already awake.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi," she replied quietly.

Neither of them said anything. It was almost as though each was unsure of what to say to the other.

Goku was the one who broke the ice. "I'm really, really sorry about last night," he apologized sincerely. "It's just that no one's ever done that to me before. What exactly were you trying to do, anyway?"

"It was a kiss, Goku," Chi-Chi sighed. "You've never heard of it, right?"

Goku shook his head. "Where are we going today?" he asked, taking notice of her coat and shoes.

"We aren't going anywhere," Chi-Chi said in as gentle a tone she could muster. She bit her lip. This was the last thing she wanted to do, only it had to be done. It was for the best. "In fact, this is good-bye."

Goku was bewildered. Then his expression cleared. "You're family's back?" he exclaimed. "Great! Where are they?" He looked out the window as though they were right outside.

"No," Chi-Chi said in constricted voice. "They aren't coming back, Goku. They're gone."

Goku stared at her in disbelief. "Gone? You mean as in…"

"More or less," she nodded.

"You've known this all along?" he asked incredulously. "Then why didn't you tell me? I would have understood!"

"I didn't want to believe that they were gone," she confessed bitterly. "I thought that they'd come back, but they're gone for good. I'm sorry that I misled you."

She turned the doorknob and went outside. Goku ran after her.

"Wait --- are you going back to your house?" he wanted to know.

"I don't have a house anymore," she said sadly.

"Well, then stay here with me!" he offered. "I said that you could stay as long as you wanted!"

Chi-Chi shook her head. "No… I can't stay here."

Goku was shocked. "Why not? Was it something I did?"

"No, no it wasn't," Chi-Chi said earnestly. She took his hand. "You tried to help me, even nobody else wouldn't because they didn't know me. You've been a really good friend, and your kindness has meant everything to me. So… thank you."

"Then why won't you stay?" he cried. "I like having you here!"

"I don't belong here," she said sorrowfully. "I don't belong anywhere. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

She turned to leave.

"No… wait… you can't… STOP!" he shouted desperately.

Startled, Chi-Chi turned back to face him. 

"Please don't go away," he said softly. "Please?" Gone was the carefree, strong, confident Saiyan warrior. Now he looked more forlorn and vulnerable than she had ever seen him.

"No one's ever stuck with me this long before," he admitted ruefully. "My friends and I always end up splitting up after we've fought battles or met up at Tournaments. I don't really know why; we just seem to go in separate directions… And sometimes I do get lonely. I can take care of myself just fine, only I'd still like someone to talk to! Everybody does. The house gets too quiet sometimes, you know I mean? 

"It's not just that either; I really like having you around! You're nice, funny, smart, easy to talk to, and beautiful… and when I'm with you, I'm happy! But it's not like anything I've felt when I'm with my friends, or training, or fighting… 

"It's like half of me is really excited. I can't think straight and I feel like I can do anything! And then the other half is --- complete. Whole… calm… relaxed… like I don't need anything else as long as I can stay with you. I don't understand what it is, or why I feel this way. All I know is that I've never felt anything like this before in my life!"

Chi-Chi's eyes filled up with tears. _Don't be an idiot! _a voice inside her head was shouting. _Didn't you hear him? He **wants** you to stay! If you leave him, you'll break his heart!_

He'll get over it, another voice protested. _He doesn't need you. He's happier by himself. No one will keep him from training or having adventures. His life was the only one that wasn't screwed up by the wish!_

"This is for the best," she said aloud, trying to stay adamant. "Whatever feeling have will go away sooner or later…" 

"But I like it!" he pleaded. "I like it! Please… I don't want it to go away!"

"I can't stay," she repeated, standing her ground. It was breaking her heart to see him like this.

Goku's wide, innocent eyes filled up with pain. "What do you mean?" he croaked. "You don't want to be with me?"

What Chi-Chi said next was without a doubt the biggest lie she told him: "I don't."

She turned, unwilling to see the look on his face, and started walking away from the house. She half-expected him to follow her, to make one last plea for her to stay. He only stood there, looking devastated by her words, watching her disappear from his sight.

__

This is the right thing to do, she thinking, almost trying to convince herself. _He'll okay…this is for the best…_

__

Then why do I feel so awful?

To be continued…

A/N: Poor Goku, poor Chi-Chi :( I know every single one of you probably want to hurt me right now, but let me assure you, I know what I'm doing. Have a little faith in me. This is a G/CC fic, and things are going to work out in the end. They always do… Besides, the next chapter is the one you'll really want to kill me for. *grins wickedly*. And now, to your reviews:

ChiChiko: Yes, Goku got an explanation. Not an honest explanation, but an explanation. Could you imagine how freaked out he'd be if Chi-Chi told him the truth? I mean, look how shocked he was when Mirai Trunks told him who his parents were… LOL! That scene still makes me laugh!

Sakura123: Goku was a lot more confused in this chapter, as you see.

Psychomaniac: Thank you, but don't cut yourself short. I'm sure you're a great writer, and the key to good writing is confidence : )

Mkh2: Damn typos! Oh, so that's what feral children are… very interesting! That's Goku all over!

Sadako-Tokumei Kibou: The scene with Grandpa Gohan and Chi-Chi was fun to write! LOL! The man was a pervert, but not as big as a pervert as Rosh. Yeah, Goku got a crush on Chi-Chi. What can I say, it was inevitable ;)

Abigail Marie: I didn't the Ox-King would have changed into the guy he was without having Chi-Chi as a daughter… even though he was still kind of evil in the beginning of Dragon Ball, he softened up when he found out Goku was Grandpa Gohan's grandson. I guess having Chi-Chi around after her mother died might have prevented him from being completely evil again.

AphroditeMe: Actually, those episodes with Goku and Chi-Chi were only in the anime. In the manga, Dragonball ended with Goku and Chi-Chi flying away from the Tournament on Nimbus. Cute ending, but I still liked the last episodes of Dragon Ball. It was the only time we ever got to see some real interaction between the two, even though I like those little moments they have in DBZ. I reply to the reviews because I thought it would be a fun thing to do, and I like replying to everyone's questions/comments about the fic. By the way, I don't think Baba is really Chi-Chi's grandma. That would make her related to Roshi, and he's been a pervert to her plenty of times, as Lady Thundera stated. Besides, who would want to be related to Roshi? *shudders*

Lady Thundera: Yes, Chi-Chi is the only person Goku would ever be attracted to. Yikes! Master Roshi better be careful! Goku's a sweet guy and everything, but I don't think he'd be too happy about anyone touching his wife like that. LOL!

SSJ Chika: I've read your story, and it's really good, except for a few grammar errors. Just have Chi-Chi remember Goku soon; it's already bad enough Lady Thundera gave her amnesia the way she did! (Just kidding, LOL). Yeah, Goku found his way to Chi-Chi. Unfortunately, it's going to take something extreme for Chi-Chi to fully realize how important she is… something that will happen in the next chapter, to be exact.

Dark-mean-me: Yes, it is nice to see how Goku and Chi-Chi care about each other. Did any of you know that Chi-Chi actually says "I love you" to Goku when he left for Other World in the Buu saga? It was when they were all saying good-bye to Goku as he was flying away with Baba. And of course, I freaked when Goku said that to Chi-Chi after Kid Buu was defeated. :)

Acb: Actually, now I have 96 reviews!

Elwen of Mirkwood: Thank you!

Lady Athena12: In chapter 4, it was explained that Goku trained for more than a day in the Time Chamber since he no longer had a family to spend time with before the Cell Games. Thus, Goku made Cell spit out Android 18, so Krillin married 18. Sorry, I should have been a little more specific in that part. Married to that bimbo Marron? Ew, she was way too ditzy! 

Moon Girl16: Thank you!

Jessica C: Yes, Goku did ask if she had a husband, because he knows that you can't have children without a mate… even if he doesn't know about "the birds and the bees." Now Goku's confused by his own feelings.

NickeyWhite2: Thank you!

SSJ Marik: Oh, now I see. Well, don't worry. If you didn't get an idea of how Chi-Chi made Goku's life better in this chapter, then you will for sure in the next chapter.

Ni-chan: See my reply to Abigail Marie's review. I think that Chi-Chi made a difference enough to keep her father from being completely evil. Bulma and Goku did look for the dragon balls of course, they just didn't arrive in time to help the Ox-King in the new timeline.

Abnormal-girl: Well, Chi-Chi tried to form another relationship with Goku, but she doesn't really want to start all over again; she wants want she had. Can't blame her, though. And she still thinks Goku doesn't need her. That will change very soon, I promise!

Goku's mom: Thank you!

Cold Paws: What do you mean what version of _It's a Wonderful Life_? There are _two_ versions? I think I've got the original.

Nisha: Yeah, it was sweet that Goku had a crush on Chi-Chi.

I won't tell: It took me quite a while, considering how long it took me to get the nerve to actually write this fic. I had to think about everything that had happened in DB/DBZ because of Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Goten, because they impacted a lot of events and touched a lot of other characters, like Piccolo and Trunks for example. They were their best friends, and without them, Piccolo would still be evil and Trunks would be a loner like Vegeta.

Kakkabrat: Thank you!

Kaye: Same with me, only opposite: I like Vegeta, but I like Goku better ;) Hmmm, interesting theory, but you'll just have to wait and see what happens.


	7. Part 7

Warning: Extra-sensitive readers may want to grab some tissues really quick before reading this chapter, because it's meant to be a tearjerker. Consider this your only warning.

Part Seven

She was gone. He was alone again.

Goku sat on the floor of the house, his knees drawn up to his chin like a small child. He never felt this miserable in his entire life.

An hour had passed since Chi-Chi had left his house; the longest hour of his life, it seemed. All he could do was just stand there and watch her walk away. Part of him wanted to go after her and make her stay, but this he would not do. He knew perfectly well was wrong to make someone stay with you when they didn't want to.

He'd pleaded her to stay, confessed the strange feeling he got when he was around her, and she apparently didn't feel the same way. She didn't want to be with him, it was as simple as that. He should have accepted it and let it go…

Why couldn't he let it go?

_Everything's so quiet without her, _Goku thought dully. True, it had always been quiet --- too quiet at times --- yet now the silence was so depressing that he could hardly bear it…

Something hot and wet slid from his eye down to his cheek. He wiped it off, staring at it numbly. 

He had been sad before --- but tears? He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried. Perhaps it had been when Tamborine killed Krillin, although that was nothing compared to the rage he felt when Frieza killed him again. He was sad when Vegeta was killed for good, only years of battles had kind of toughened him up to the possibility of losing his friends in a fight. Besides, they could be wished back with the dragon balls.

However, the pain he felt whenever he lost a friend was nothing compared to the pain he felt now.

Goku had been wrong; the feeling he felt with Chi-Chi did not go away when she did, it was still there. But it was no longer a new exciting feeling. Instead, it only burned.

Desperately, Goku tried to remember the happiness the feeling brought him, yet it only made it hurt worse. It was only a happy feeling when she was around.

__

What's wrong with me? he wondered, wiping tears from his eyes._ Why do I feel this way? I never felt this sad whenever my friends and I split up. I felt a little bit sad when I said good-bye to them after I died in the Cell Games, but I knew that I'd see them again someday, so it wasn't that bad. It wasn't really good-bye, after all. _

Maybe that's why I'm so sad: because I'll never see Chi-Chi again. Only that's not it either, it's something else… I wish I knew what it was…

He hoped that she would be all right. She said that she didn't have a home anymore, so where would she go?

__

Why couldn't she stay? he thought sadly. _She said it wasn't because of me, but I still think that it had something to do with when she kissed me the other night. Everything was fine until then…_

Goku stood up and looked out the window. It was still snowing outside. He watched each flake fall, mesmerized. He almost expected (or maybe hoped) to see Chi-Chi come running up to the house, saying that she changed her mind and would stay with him. And then everything would be all right again…

But that, of course, wouldn't happen.

Goku couldn't help but think it was strange how everyone Chi-Chi claimed to know didn't know her. First she claimed to know him since her father knew his grandpa, though they had never met face-to-face. Then she thought she knew Piccolo, only it turned out that she had mistaken him for another one of her son's friends. Yet how did she know Piccolo's name and everything?

And her father… Bulma had been right about her father; he _had_ been a monster, according to the people who lived in his kingdom. But Chi-Chi said that he had changed, and he had trusted her. She was a good person…

He understood why she didn't tell him that her family was dead until the last minute. Still, all of this was very strange to him. Was something going on that he didn't know about?

He leaned his head against the wall. It didn't matter. Nothing did --- she was gone now, and whatever mysteries she had in her life he'd never know now.

Everything was so confusing to him now --- the most confusing thing of all was that strange feeling. How could it make him feel so perfect once, and now make him feel so awful?

Something stirred within Goku's memory: _"Some days, these feelings can make you feel absolutely perfect… and other days --- whenever anything bad happens to them or if they leave you --- it makes you feel absolutely miserable."_

Chi-Chi had said that… yes, that was exactly how he felt right now! 

He had cared about Chi-Chi, only what he felt was deeper than how he cared about his friends or his grandpa. He knew that the special feeling he felt for her was more than friendship, but it couldn't be…

Chi-Chi was a good person. He didn't mind that she yelled, everybody yells sometimes. She was funny, smart, kind, beautiful, and the way he felt about her was nothing he had ever felt in his entire life.

"Oh no," Goku moaned, sinking down to the floor. It dawned on him what exactly that feeling was, and why it hurt so badly that Chi-Chi had left him:

"I love her."

***

"This is for the best," Chi-Chi kept telling herself.

Her heart kept twisting in agony at the thought of never seeing Goku again. Part of her was screaming to go back, to apologize, and just tell Goku the truth, but this she couldn't do. This was for the best, and Goku would see this in time…

Yet the memory of the heartbroken look on his face said otherwise.

She'd been walking through the woods for a long time now. She was freezing cold and had no idea where she was going, but she kept going regardless.

"You're making a big mistake," a voice behind her said.

Chi-Chi turned around and saw Grandpa Gohan. "Oh, it's you," she muttered. "So you saw the whole thing?"

"I sure did," Grandpa Gohan said matter-of-factly. "How could you hurt Goku like that? I thought you loved him!"

"Of course I love him!" Chi-Chi snapped. "I love him more than anything! You think that I wanted to leave him? I'm only doing this for his sake!"

"Is that so?" Grandpa Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

"He doesn't need me!" Chi-Chi said exasperatedly. "I saw how everything was without me, and yes, I do see that I do make a difference, but Goku is still happy! He doesn't mind living by himself! He can train and have as many adventures as he likes without having a family to tie him down! He can stay away as long as he wants without worrying about when to come back!"

"You think Goku would prefer being by himself than having a family?" Grandpa Gohan asked in disbelief. "That he was never happy with you and your sons to begin with?"

"No, he was happy with us!" Chi-Chi said vehemently. "I just think that this might be a better life for him."

Grandpa Gohan shook his head. "You are truly naïve," he said sadly. "Even more naïve than Goku. He _does_ need you, Chi-Chi. What is it going to take for you to believe that?"

"All right, he said that he liked having me around when I left," she admitted. "Only he likes almost everybody, so it doesn't make a difference. I almost thought that he was falling in love with me again, until I kissed him last night. He freaked out."

"Well of course he'd be scared!" Grandpa Gohan said impatiently. "He'd never been kissed before in his life! You just went a little too fast for him, that's all."

"Maybe," Chi-Chi said regretfully, "but he doesn't love me anymore."

"Are you sure?" Grandpa Gohan asked. 

"He didn't even know what love is!" she retorted. "I had to explain it to him!"

"And you still don't know what you've done for him?" Grandpa Gohan asked incredulously.

Chi-Chi stared at him, dumbfounded. "He'll be better off," she repeated, although she was starting to doubt her own words. "We never would have gotten married if I hadn't shown up at the 23rd Martial Arts Tournament and reminded him of his promise. For Kami's sake, he didn't even know what marriage was!"

"He learned," he replied gently.

"If he'd known what it was to begin with, he never would have gone through with it!" she said bitterly.

"You're forgotten one thing," Grandpa Gohan said quietly. "He could have said no."

"He just didn't want to break his promise!" Chi-Chi argued.

"But he still could have said no," Grandpa Gohan pressed. "He could have just apologized and politely refused, yet he didn't. His friends warned him that marriage meant having to spend the rest of his life with you, didn't they? And he still married you. He could have also backed out at the last minute when Kami offered to make him Guardian of the Earth… yet he refused and chose to marry you instead. Doesn't that count for _anything_?"

Chi-Chi bit her lip. "Well… Goku wouldn't have wanted to be Guardian of the Earth anyway," she protested, though her resolve was starting to fade. "He didn't take the position in this time either! He said that it would be boring."

"Or maybe it wasn't what he wanted to do in life," Grandpa Gohan said. "He chose to be with you… and I don't think for one minute that he regrets that choice. Maybe he didn't love you at first --- it was the first time you met him in years, after all. But he learned to. Has ever he told you that he loves you?"

"Yes…" Chi-Chi said slowly.

"And you think that he doesn't mean it when he says it?" Grandpa Gohan asked sternly.

"No! My Goku never says anything that he doesn't mean!" she replied indignantly.

"Then what is the problem?" Grandpa Gohan asked, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Why would you ever think that he'd be better off without you?"

"Because he is, isn't he?" she asked despairingly. "He's okay being alone…"

"Didn't you hear a single word he said to you an hour ago? He admitted that he _is_ lonely! You gave him a family. You gave him love. Without those two things, life is hardly worth living."

Chi-Chi stood there lost for words. Her heart sank horribly as she realized her mistake. "I thought… he said that he was all right being alone," she said weakly.

"Because he never knew how a family could change his life," Grandpa Gohan said somberly. 

She swallowed. _He's right, _a voice in her head was saying. _You were the one who taught Goku about family. He never had one to begin with; he was sent to Earth when he was a baby. Just goes to show how good Saiyans were at being parents. He **did** have friends, but they're no substitute for a real family. Doesn't he deserve to have a real family?_

Tears filled her eyes. How could she have been so blind? Goku probably did have feelings for her, and she turned him down. She imagined how she'd feel if he'd ever reject her like that; she never wanted to cause him that much pain…

Grandpa Gohan was watching her closely. "Go back to Goku," he said quietly. "Tell him everything… and I mean _everything_. If you want everything to be back the way it was, you need to undo the wish as soon as possible. I don't know if the Namek dragon balls can reverse the wish, but it never hurts to try."

Chi-Chi didn't reply; she just turned and ran as fast as she could in the direction of Grandpa Gohan's house.

***

Meanwhile, Goku was taking a long walk in the woods. He couldn't stand the silence of the house any longer.

He thought of going to his friends to ask what to do, but that didn't seem like a good idea. For one thing, Bulma hadn't liked Chi-Chi very much. For another, although his friends would be sympathetic, they would probably tell him to forget her. In the future, he would find someone else…

But the pathetic truth was that he didn't want anyone else; he only wanted her. And even if he wanted to forget her, he could not.

__

She didn't really explain why she had to leave, he thought. _All she said was that she couldn't stay…I wish I knew why._

Maybe it had something to do with her dead husband. Maybe she didn't want to stay with another man because it would be an insult to his memory. If that was true, he could respect that.

Or maybe --- and this was a very horrible thought --- she just didn't like him at all. If she had, then she never would have left.

But what was wrong with him? He tried to be a good person, even if he wasn't that smart. He had tried to help her find her family, offered her a home, and protected her from any sort of danger. He'd taken her to places all over, just to make her happy. 

He hung his head as a fresh wave of sadness enveloped him. It's an awful feeling, to be in love with someone who apparently doesn't love you back. You know that it's a waste of time to want someone doesn't want you. And yet you can't erase the person from your mind --- or from your heart. 

It was especially hard for Goku. He had never been in love before, and after all the pain it was causing him, he almost wished that he wasn't. 

More tears filled his eyes and he brushed them away furious. _Stupid tears, _he thought bitterly. _What good are they? They don't bring anything back…_

If only Vegeta was here, he'd have a good laugh at this. I could just hear him now: "What's this? The mighty Kakarot moping around over a woman? A true Saiyan warrior always stands alone; they need nobody! A mere human woman renders the great Super Saiyan 3 helpless? Ha! You're nothing but a pathetic, lovesick clown!"

He's right, they're all right… why waste time over someone who doesn't love me back. It's pointless. I'll be all right; I can take care of myself. I lived without her before; I can do it again…

__

Oh Kami, why doesn't she love me?

And then a sudden idea occurred to him: did she even _know_ that he loved her?

Well, he had told her, hadn't he? He told her how he felt, and it sounded like love...

Yet he had never actually stated that he loved her. She might have misunderstood him when he told her his feelings; he always got things mixed up. If he told her straight out, then maybe… maybe she would have stayed.

__

I could still find her, Goku realized. _The woods are very deep… she couldn't have gone far on foot._

He closed his eyes and searched for her ki. Yes, she was still in the woods… and not too far away… in fact, from where he could sense her, she was heading towards his house.

Confusion and hope arouse. Had she changed her mind? Or maybe she'd left something behind? Either way, Goku knew what he was going to do. He'd find her, and then he'd tell her straight out that he loved her.

If she didn't love him, he'd have to let her go and get on with his life.

But if she did, if she really did… it was impossible --- no, it was possible all right…

Goku smiled, feeling like his old cheerful self once again. If she did love him, and if it worked out, maybe he'd do what Krillin did and get married…

"Look at me!" he said aloud in awe. "I'm thinking about settling down --- _me_! I've never really considered it before. I guess I _am _in love!"

He knew he was jumping to conclusions, but being the optimistic person he was, he couldn't help it. The idea of spending the rest of his life with someone else seemed strange and almost scary to him, but he was somewhat curious about it too. To think, a whole new life could be waiting for him… 

He was so lost in his own rapturous thoughts that he did the one thing any fighter should never do: he let his guard down. He didn't even sense a familiar ki approaching…

It was funny; he told Chi-Chi the other night that if he ever found someone, he'd know. _She_ had been his "someone" all along, and it hadn't even dawned on him until now!

His smile spread wider, and he felt a sudden urge to jump in the air --- which he did. He let out a loud cheer as he hovered in the air.

He quickly landed back on the floor. "Well, what am I just standing around here for?" he asked, laughing at his own naivete. "I gotta go _tell_ her first!"

He concentrated on her ki, preparing to use Instant Transmission. He wanted to get as fast as possible. Everything was going to be all right after all. He'd tell her, and then ---

And then, too late, Goku sensed the other familiar ki nearby him… a person who had approached him from behind in the forest, and shot out a laser beam directly at him. He turned his head just in time to see his attacker hovering in the air behind him….

Unfortunately, he didn't react quickly enough.

***

Chi-Chi had finally reached Grandpa Gohan's house. She hurried to the front door and started pounding on it. "Goku?" she called out. "Goku? Please let me in, I have something to tell you!"

No one answered the door.

She peered inside through the window, knowing that it was a rude thing to do. No one was inside. 

__

He must have gone out again, she thought. _If he's flown off to another place, I'll never find him!_

She searched the surrounding trees. There were footprints in the snow, leading to the path where she had left and returned to the house. There was also another set of footprints leading to a different part of the woods.

__

Thank Kami, he's on foot, she thought, relieved. _I'll just follow those footprints to where he is. Oh, I hope he's not mad at me…_

Suddenly, she felt a sharp, intense pain in her heart. She gasped, her hand flying to her chest. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling; whenever she had felt this sensation, it was when something had happened to ---

"Goku…" she murmured, horrified.

Not wasting a moment of her time, she started to follow the footprints into the woods. _He's probably okay, _she thought, trying to assure herself. _He's strong, he can take anything that comes at him…he probably just got a minor injury…_

She was purposely ignoring the fact that whenever she had got that strange feeling, Goku wasn't just "hurt"; he had died. 

Just then, she heard a rush of wind above her. She looked up to see a figure flying above the trees. Even from that distance, she recognized him immediately. It was Piccolo.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't have been such a big deal. Yet now that he was evil again… 

__

No! Chi-Chi thought desperately, breaking out into a run. _No, Goku couldn't have lost to Piccolo! He's stronger than he was the last time they'd fought --- and Piccolo hasn't fused with Kami! There's just no way…_

If anything's happened to him, I'll never forgive myself!

The footprints stopped in front of a fallen log --- it was the place where Goku had saved her from the wolf pack two weeks ago. And there, lying on the ground, bleeding from a severe wound in his chest was ---

"_Goku!_" she gasped, rushing towards him. "Oh Kami, no! _No!_ Goku!"

She knelt beside him. The wound was really deep… so deep that there was nothing but a huge hole in the middle of his chest, the blood oozing onto the snow. The mere sight of it would have made anyone faint, yet the knowledge that she was the only one who could help him prevented her from doing so.

In a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, she took off her coat, removed her shawl, and wrapped it around his chest. It wasn't going to heal the wound; unless she got hold of a senzu bean, he was done for.

"Goku?" she cried, pulling his head onto her lap and bending over him. "Goku, can you hear me? Please say something!"

Slowly Goku's eyes opened. His face was deathly pale and his breathing was very shallow. He glanced at the wound. The blood was already soaking through Chi-Chi's shawl.

"I don't believe it," he groaned in weak disbelief. "He got me… he really got me. I turn my back for one moment and he got me. King Kai's never going to let me here the end of it when I get to Other Word…"

"Don't talk like that!" Chi-Chi said angrily, tears starting to well in her eyes again. "You're going to be fine! We'll take Nimbus to Korin's Tower and get you a senzu bean!" 

Goku shook his head feebly. "No… I won't make it in time…"

"What are you saying?" Chi-Chi asked incredulously. "You're just going to give up? This isn't like you at all! You've made it out of worse scrapes than this! Please… I know it hurts, but I need you to be strong now. Please just hang on for me!"

Goku blinked, looking at her. "Chi-Chi?" he whispered. Apparently he hadn't recognized her until now. "You… you came back…"

Chi-Chi nodded. "This is all my fault, I never should have left! I'm so sorry I hurt you… you must hate me…"

"Hate you?" Goku asked faintly. "No… I don't hate you at all. I love you…"

She froze, unable to believe what she had just heard. "What?" she asked incredulously. "You _what_?"

"I love you," he repeated, smiling a little bit. "I do. I don't think I ever loved anything or anyone else until you came."

"No, you can't!" Chi-Chi sobbed, shaking her head in denial. "Everyone who loved me is gone!"

This couldn't be happening. Goku really had fallen in love with her over again, and he was about to die. He was going to lose him --- _again_! 

"Oh," Goku whispered, his dimming eyes looking at her sadly. "I get it now… It's because your family died, and you didn't want to get hurt over again. That's why you left, isn't it? That's why you don't love me back."

His words struck her like a hammer. "No, that isn't ---!" she tried to protest, but Goku lifted one of his hands and put it to her mouth, silencing her.

"It's all right," he said softly. With his remaining strength, he grasped one of her hands. "I understand. I'm just glad that I got to know what love felt like for once… I wouldn't change that for the world…." 

He paused, grimacing in pain. "And I'm glad I met you, Chi-Chi… I just hope you can try to be happy again someday. It's better than better than being alone… even if you do get hurt…"

"Oh Goku!" Chi-Chi cried, hugging him close. She could feel every ragged breath he took on her shoulder. 

"You've got it all wrong!" she confessed tearfully. "I've lying to you… I used the dragon balls to make this wish… I wished that I were never born because they would be better off. They spent so much time sparring and saving the word that I thought they didn't need me. Shenron granted my wish, and everything went wrong! 

"Why do you think I knew your name when you didn't know me? Or named my sons after your grandpa? It wasn't because my dad knew your grandpa --- and I wasn't lying about that --- it's because _I_ knew _you_! You just don't remember it because of the wish…

"My husband isn't dead, Goku! He's _you_! Gohan and Goten… they're your sons too! But they aren't here anymore because of the wish. I know I should have told you sooner, but I thought that you were better off without me. I never meant to hurt you, I never even meant to make that wish! It was an accident! I'd take it back if I could! And that's why you can't die now! I know this is a big shock for you, and I'm sure you're confused, but I promise I'll explain everything after we get you healed!

"Just stay with for a little longer… please! I can wait a year to undo the wish, and if that doesn't work, we can start all over again! We have a family again, and things will be different! I can stand it all if you're with me! Please don't die… for Kami's sake, I love you!"

Silence was her only response. She couldn't even hear him breathing.

She lowered him onto the ground, where he lay still. His face was deathly pale from blood loss and his eyes were closed. 

"_No!_" she gasped. She grabbed his shoulders and started to shake him. His head hopelessly lolled back and forth. "Goku, wake up! You can't be gone, you can't be! It can't end this way!" 

But Goku continued to lie there, lifeless. He never heard a single word she had said. He was gone.

Chi-Chi burst into tears. "Goku! Oh Goku, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, sweetheart!" She cradled him in her arms, kissing him and rocking him gently… 

Moments later, she found that she was only holding air. His body had been transported to Other World, like it had the previous times he had died. The shawl that had been tied around his chest fluttered to the ground. 

Nothing remained of him except the blood that stained the white snow… blood that dripped onto her skirt… blood that soaked through her shawl...

Overcome by grief, Chi-Chi buried her face in her arms. "What have I done?" she wept. "Oh Kami, what have I _done_?"

To be continued…

A/N: Now all of you know why I said that you'd want to kill me after this chapter. 

Bunny1: Goku can't fix the situation, but Chi-Chi can.

VidelChan313: The suspense is maddening, you say? Good, then I'm writing this right! *cackles wickedly* Don't worry though, the fic is almost over.

Sakura123: You were right, Grandpa Gohan did come back and Chi-Chi came to her senses. Chi-Chi thought that Goku would be better off without her, so she did the old "hurt him to save him" routine. Unfortunately, it blew up in her face, as you see.

Abigail Marie: Welcome to my world; I don't have much sanity left either. LOL!

Nisha: I tried to make this chapter even more tear-worthy. Did I succeed?

I won't tell: Thank you!

Lady Thundera: Bring on the drama, you said. Bring on the evil cliffhangers, you said. As you wish. Heh, heh, heh. Don't worry, favorite couple gets back together in the end, they always do. I realize I'm a hypocrite after I told you how I'd feel if you killed off Goku. Because of this, I'll go easy on you when I read the next evil cliffie you pull off in "The Past Returns" just as long as there's a happy ending with our favorite couple back together.

Kakkabrat: Yay! Someone found my _Finding Nemo _reference! Also, the scene when Chi-Chi leaves Goku was inspired from when Marlin leaves Dory in the movie, which is a very sad scene. It gets me depressed every time I see that part. Dory reminds me a bit of Goku; they're both so funny!

Jessica C: Goku's a forgiving guy. Even though Chi-Chi hurt him the way she did, he was more sad than angry. Yeah, poor Goku. I know without a doubt that you and the other reviewers are probably pissed off for what I did to him, but I know what I'm doing, and I can assure a happy ending.

Nitte iz: Thank you!

Dark-mean-me: Yes, I was upset that Goku left with Uub. I was kind of expecting Goku to have a more proper good-bye to everyone, especially Chi-Chi. Still, I understand why it happened. I just never watch that episode when it's on anymore… just like I ignore GT. I've seen a few episodes of it, and I didn't like it. It was completely unlike DB and DBZ. I could go on with the other reasons why I don't like it, but there are too many.

Vegito: I'm sure you feel even sorrier for Goku and Chi-Chi now.

SSJ Chika: Who doesn't love drama? But you have to be careful, because too much of it isn't a good thing.

Mkh2: Poor Goku. Poor, poor, poor, poor, poor Goku…

Lady Athena X: Again, poor Goku. He was in love with Chi-Chi and didn't realize it until it was too late. Love is complicated, as you can see. You can be that Chi-Chi has to fix her dilemma now!

Jedimaster107: You were close, but it turned out to be the exact opposite of what you thought.

Jen: Thank you! It is hard to find good G/CC fics these days… thank goodness for authors like Lady Thundera so that we don't have to read as much crap about Chi-Chi and Goku getting a divorce, or whatever. I don't even read those stories. I have my opinions about my favorite shows and books, but people have their own opinions too about DBZ, and I respect that, even if I don't agree with them.

ShellyMoon: Of course I'll continue it! Can you imagine how many flames I'd get if I didn't update anymore after this chapter? LOL!

Sadako-Tokumei-Kibou: Yep, I'm evil. But I felt really bad about killing off Goku after Chi-Chi (unintentionally) broke his heart. He's one of my favorite characters.

Moon girl16: Chi-Chi left because she thought that he'd be happier without her. She meant well, but she was wrong, as you see.

Dopey: _Never_ ask if things can get any worse. Things always find a way. I imagine you hate me even more now.

Shukumei no Kagi: Yes, it's a sad story, and it's even sadder because of this chapter. But it will get better. Everyone will kill me if I write an unhappy ending!

Moonprincess202: Thank you!


	8. Part 8

Disclaimer: Several quotes were taken from _It's a Wonderful Life_. Let's see who can spot them!

Part Eight

After what seemed like hours later, Chi-Chi finally stumbled to her feet, dry-eyed from crying. She had no idea where to go or what do to, but it didn't seem important to her now. 

Slowly, as though she had lost all the feeling her in legs, she walked out of the area and deeper into the woods. In her hands she carried the ruined shawl. She didn't know why she was still hanging onto it; the stains would never come out…

What did it matter? Nothing mattered to her anymore. Goku was dead… and now she didn't have anyone. She had no friends, no family, no home, no nothing. 

And the worst part was that she only had herself to blame for her misery. _Her_ wish had caused all this --- her stupid, selfish, simple wish! If it weren't for it, Piccolo would be good, Vegeta and her father would still be alive, Trunks wouldn't be so bitter, and Goku…

More tears streamed down her cheeks. Because of that wish, she had hurt the one person who meant the most to her. 

What possessed her to think that he didn't need her? He tried to be a good husband, only he had a duty to protect the people of Earth. What if he hadn't left all those times? Had she ever considered what would happen if he had actually stayed home instead of fighting? The Earth would have been destroyed long ago. It wasn't that she meant little to him. On the contrary, he did it to protect her and their family. 

Deep down inside of her, she had known this all along… and yet it took losing him again for her to fully realize it.

Nobody she had known trusted her or took pity on her after she wished herself out of their lives --- nobody except Goku. He had let her stay in his grandfather's house and tried to help her as best as she could. And she lied to him about everything. She didn't want to, but she had no other choice…

Or had it? Maybe it _wasn't_ just about whether he'd freak out or not… maybe it her own curiosity of how he would have been without her. It would have been easier to find out if he didn't know anything…

__

I didn't have to lie to him, Chi-Chi realized suddenly. _Even if he thought I was crazy, I could have proved it easily. I could have just told him anything I knew about him --- who he fought, his habits… he would have believed me then._

The trouble with good ideas is that they sometimes come when it's too late. With every passing moment, more sensible alternatives to the rash choices Chi-Chi had made in this world. She could have explained everything after Goku saved her from those wolves. Then he could have just transported her to Namek, gathered the Namekian dragon balls, and would have been back home in time for Christmas…

She also shouldn't have come onto Goku the previous night. True, the idea of kissing him had been tempting her for quite some time. Still, she should have known better; she still remembered how shocked he was when he had learned what exactly they were supposed to do on their wedding night…

And she knew that she should have never left Goku when he'd begged her to stay. His desperate pleas kept echoing in her mind:

__

"Please don't go away… Please? No one's ever stuck with me this long before. My friends and I always end up splitting up after we've fought battles or met up at Tournaments. I don't really know why; we just seem to go in separate directions… And sometimes I do get lonely. I can take care of myself just fine, only I'd still like someone to talk to! Everybody does. The house gets too quiet sometimes, you know I mean? 

"It's not just that either; I really like having you around! You're nice, funny, smart, easy to talk to, and beautiful… and when I'm with you, I'm happy! But it's not like anything I've felt when I'm with my friends, or training, or fighting… 

"It's like half of me is really excited. I can't think straight and I feel like I can do anything! And then the other half is --- complete. Whole… calm… relaxed… like I don't need anything else as long as I can stay with you. I don't understand what it is, or why I feel this way. All I know is that I've never felt anything like this before in my life!"

And then she heard her own, careless response: _"This is for the best. Whatever feeling have will go away sooner or later…"_

__

"But I like it!" he pleaded. "I like it! Please… I don't want it to go away!"

She should have seen the truth right then and there. She should have said, _"All right, Goku, I'll stay." _She should have hugged him and apologized for almost leaving. And afterwards, she should have told him everything.

She should have, but didn't. Instead, she'd ripped his heart out and threw it back into his face…

__

"I can't stay."

"What do you mean? You don't want to be with me?"

"I don't."

__

Kami, what was I thinking? she thought bitterly. _How could I have done such a thing?_

The thing that really tore her up about it was that he hadn't been angry with her for hurting him. She wouldn't have blamed him if he did hate her. On the other hand, he always did have a good, forgiving heart. That was one of the things she loved most about him…

And to top it all off, he died without knowing how much she loved him. He'd learned to love, and yet hadn't received it in return. Had she stayed or told him the truth much sooner, he'd still be alive…

It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve to die like that.

__

I was so selfish, she thought ruefully as she approached the hot spring. She sank to the ground, her tears dripping into the steaming water. _Of all the stupid things to say at the wrong moment, I had to say, "I wish I'd never been born." I could have said, "I'm having a really bad day" or even "This is the worst Christmas Eve ever" --- anything that didn't have the word "wish"!_

Now I've ruined everybody's life, including mine! And I don't even exist!

"Strange, isn't it?" a voice behind her asked. It was Grandpa Gohan, looking very grave. "Each person touches so many lives that when she's not around, she leaves an awful hole."

Chi-Chi couldn't bring herself to respond. She just looked down at the water.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Chi-Chi," Grandpa Gohan said softly, approaching her. "But maybe now you realize how important you are to him --- to everyone, no matter how indirectly. You see, you really did have a wonderful life… and it would be horrible to just throw that all away."

"I already did," Chi-Chi croaked, more tears falling from her eyes. She sniffed. "What am I going to do?"

"I have no idea," Grandpa Gohan said heavily.

Suddenly, Baba appeared before them, floating on her crystal ball. "There you are, Gohan!" she said impatiently. "I saw everything that's happened so far… is she going to undo the wish or not? Because King Yemma just told me that the more time that's wasted makes it more likely that the changes to the timeline will be permanent!"  


"I'm afraid we've run into a problem, Baba," Grandpa Gohan sighed. 

"The dragon balls aren't active," Chi-Chi said in a hollow, deadened tone. "Since Kami is still the Guardian of the Earth, Shenron only grants one wish… I used one wish, so I can't find use the dragon balls until a year from now."

"A year?" Baba shrieked, almost falling off her ball in shock. "But by then it will be too late!"

"I could still go to Namek if I went to Capsule Corperation and ask Bulma to take me there with one of her spaceships," Chi-Chi went on monotonously, "but she doesn't know me anymore. She didn't trust me, either. And if I tell her how Goku died, she wouldn't help me at all."

"Perhaps there's another way," Grandpa Gohan suggested, thinking hard. "I know! Baba, can you bring Goku back to life for a day? He can take Chi-Chi to Namek, and she can use their dragon balls to undo the wish."

Baba shook her head. "Neither of those ideas will work," she said flatly. "Porunga has no power over a wish that Shenron granted. Shenron has to undo the wish --- if he can."

"So I guess I'm stuck here," Chi-Chi said sadly. "I was so happy to have my family back together again. Then I lose them again only a year later."

"Well whose fault is that?" Baba asked icily.

"Baba, don't ---!" Grandpa Gohan started to protest, but Baba ignored him.

"Now you listen here!" she said harshly to Chi-Chi. "I don't know what you were thinking when you made that wish, but you mean the world to your family! I saw how they reacted when Majin Buu killed you. Goten saw you die, the poor little thing, and he was shaken up by it! First he loses his dad, then his brother, and then his mother! He was crying, saying that you were all he had left! He wanted to _slaughter_ Buu for what he did!

"Gohan didn't find out until he left the Supreme Kai's planet, but when he found out he was furious! He used his grief and rage in his fighting… he didn't win, but for a while, he had the upper hand. And Goku? Do you know how he felt?"

"No," Chi-Chi whispered, shaking her head.

"He was _devastated_. He didn't see you die, but he felt it universes away on the Supreme Kai's planet! He knew that you could be revived with the dragon balls, but honestly, how do you think he'd react if anything happened to you? _'Chi-Chi's dead… oh well, I guess I can go train and eat more now.' _Is that what you think he'd say?"

"Of course not!" Chi-Chi said vehemently. "I didn't know… I didn't think…"

"That's obvious," Baba snorted.

"Look, I made a mistake, and I know that now, only what do you want me to do?" she shouted despairingly. "I can't use the Namekian dragon balls or the Earth's dragon balls to undo the wish…"

"Oh for goodness sake!" Baba fumed. "If anything happened to you, do you think Goku would just mope around about it? No! He'd be doing everything he could to bring you back! If you aren't willing to do the same thing for him, then you never deserved him in the first place!"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Chi-Chi screamed, smacking Baba off her ball. She was positively furious. "If I knew another way, I'd do it, but don't you dare say that I don't care for my husband or my sons! I never would have made that damn wish if I knew that Shenron was there!"

"All right, all right, calm down," Grandpa Gohan said, moving between the two of them. "This isn't helping anything!"

"No, let her hit me!" Baba taunted, standing up. "At least she's actually doing something other than feeling sorry for herself!"

"You said the more time we waste, the more likely that these changes will be permanent!" Grandpa Gohan said sternly. "There has to be some way this can be fixed…"

__

Goku would know what to do, Chi-Chi thought, her heart heavy. _If only he was still alive… oh, who am I kidding? He never was in a situation that the dragon balls couldn't fix…_

Or had he…?

"I've got it!" Chi-Chi cried out. "Why didn't I think of this sooner? We'll go to Kami!"

"_What?_" Baba and Grandpa Gohan asked at the same time.

"When King Piccolo killed the Eternal Dragon, Goku went to Kami's Lookout to ask Kami to resurrect it," Chi-Chi explained. "The dragon balls were immediately reactivated; they didn't need to wait a whole year!"

"But the Eternal Dragon wasn't destroyed," Grandpa Gohan pointed out gently.

"It doesn't matter!" she replied. "Kami could reenergize the Eternal Dragon! He created them, after all!"

"I don't know if that will work," Baba said slowly. "Kami only makes exceptions for _noble_ purposes.

"Then I'll tell him everything," Chi-Chi said simply. "I want to return things back to normal --- that's a good cause isn't it?"

"What if he won't do it?" Grandpa Gohan wanted to know.

"I don't care!" Chi-Chi said fiercely. "I'm not going to let everyone suffer because of some stupid wish I made!" She turned to Baba. "Can you take us to Kami's Lookout?"

"Hey, does this thing look like a car to you?" Baba snapped, pointing to her ball.

"That's all right, we can just hang on to it," Grandpa Gohan said quickly, trying to avoid another fight between the two.

"Oh, fine!" Baba said grudgingly, hopping back on the ball. "But this had better work. Without Goku, Gohan, and Goten around, the earth is as good as doomed."

***

After a few moments of getting situated (and Grandpa Gohan getting knocked into a tree for trying to grab onto Chi-Chi's lower backside), they took off in the air on the crystal ball.

It was safe to say that the ride was nothing like riding Nimbus. Chi-Chi had to hang on very tightly to the crystal ball, which was very round and slippery. Her entire body was dangling in the air. The higher they went up, the more frightened she became that she was going to fall to her death. She wasn't normally afraid of heights, but she'd never flown on anything except Nimbus… or Goku…

Finally, they reached the Lookout. Chi-Chi had only been there once --- when she and the others were lying low from Majin Buu while Goten and Trunks practiced the fusion technique. It was beautiful place… the temple was surrounded by palm trees and exotic plants. In fact, it had been here that Goku had returned to them at last after Buu was defeated… 

__

Not now, Chi-Chi told herself, feeling unbearable grief well up inside of her. _If I start crying again, I might not be able to stop._

Mr. Popo was watering the plants when they landed on the ground. "Baba, what are you doing here?" he asked. "And why have you brought these people with you?"

"There's no time to explain, Popo," Baba said shortly. "Where's Kami? We need to speak to him right away!"

"I'm here" a voice called out. The elderly Namek stepped out of the temple. He surveyed Grandpa Gohan and Chi-Chi. "Who are these people?" he asked Baba.

Baba glanced at Chi-Chi. "It was _your _idea," she hissed. "_You_ tell him."

Taking a deep breath, Chi-Chi stepped forward. "You may not know me," she began, "but I know you --- sort of. I know that you're the Guardian of Earth. I know that you created the dragon balls. I know that you're the other half of the Demon King, Piccolo. And I know that you helped train Son Goku when he was a boy, and helped him keep his body to go to King Kai's planet to train when the Saiyans came to Earth."

Kami looked surprised at her knowledge. "How do you know this?" he asked. "Were you a friend of Goku?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "I'm his wife."

Kami shook his head. "That isn't true --- Goku never had a wife."

"He does," Chi-Chi insisted. "Or at least he did. You see, I made this wish with the dragon balls…"

She proceeded to tell him everything. It took quite a while, since she had to both explain how things were before and how they got so messed up. Kami only listened to her story, his face quite passive. This made her a little bit nervous --- she couldn't tell whether Kami believed her or not.

"Goku is dead --- again?" Kami asked as soon as she had finished. 

Chi-Chi nodded sadly.

He shook his head grimly. "It will be a black day for Earth the next time a new danger approaches. With Vegeta gone, there's no one powerful enough to defend the earth."

There was a respective moment of silence. Kami paced back and forth, looking very worried.

"You --- You don't think I'm crazy, do you?" Chi-Chi asked nervously.

"No, no, I don't think you're crazy," Kami assured her. "It's just hard to believe..."

"It's all true, Kami," Baba insisted. "Ask King Yemma himself if you don't believe it. Goku and Vegeta aren't supposed to be dead in this timeline."

"I suppose if King Yemma has seen that the timeline has changed, then it must be true," Kami said slowly. He turned back to Chi-Chi. "You realize, of course, the serious damage you've done?"

"Yes," Chi-Chi said softly, looking at the ground. "Everything is so messed up…"

"I don't mean that," Kami interrupted. "The dragon balls were never created to grant such a wish. Time and history are very fragile things… they are not to be meddled with."

"I know," Chi-Chi said miserably.

"But why would you ever wish that you were never born?" he wanted to know.

Chi-Chi bit her lip. "I thought that I didn't make a difference," she admitted.

"Everyone makes a difference, even if they don't mean to," Kami replied wisely.

"Look, I've learned my lesson," she said, her voice breaking. "Can you please just reenergize Shenron so that I can fix everything?"

"I'm afraid it isn't as easy as that," Kami said gently. "Even if I do that, it's still uncertain whether Shenron can return things to normal. He has never granted such a powerful wish before…"

"Please just do it," Chi-Chi begged. "I'll go look for the dragon balls myself. If the dragon can't undo the wish, I'll just have to find some other way."

Kami shook his head. "There is no other way. If the wish cannot be undone, you'll have to live with the consequences."

"If it comes to that, I'll take it," she replied bravely. "But I have to at least try!"

He stared at her for a very long time. Then he gave her a small smile. "Very well," he said. "But this must never happen again. The dragon balls aren't for interfering in people's lives."

"Believe me, it won't happen again," Chi-Chi promised.

Kami turned to Mr. Popo. "Mr. Popo, will you please fetch the Eternal Dragon?"

Mr. Popo nodded and disappeared into the temple. He returned shortly with a tiny stone model of the Eternal Dragon. 

Kami pointed his finger towards the model dragon and shot out an enormous ki blast at it. Bright light illuminated the model, lifting it high above the ground and magnifying it ten times its size. Chi-Chi gasped, catching a brief glimpse of the giant dragon before it plummeted back towards the earth in a streak of light.

"It went to go find the dragon balls," Kami informed her. "The rest is in Shenron's hands now."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Chi-Chi exclaimed breathlessly. "I have to go find the dragon balls right now!"

Before anyone could do or say anything, she leaned over the edge of the Lookout. "Flying Nimbus!" she called out, cupping her hands over her mouth.

Miles down below, she could barely see the little yellow zoom towards the bottom of the Lookout. Nimbus, she forgot, couldn't go as high as the altitude where the Lookout was.

Without thinking, she jumped off the Lookout, plummeting to the ground. She could hear Grandpa Gohan and Baba screaming after her. They didn't need to worry; she skillfully landed on Nimbus. 

She flew back down to Grandpa Gohan's house. She ran inside the house and quickly found Goku's dragon radar on a table. She turned it on. Sure enough, little pinpoints showed up on the radar, indicating where the dragon balls were.

"It worked!" she cheered, jumping up and down for joy. What made her even happier was that the nearest dragon ball was located somewhere in the woods.

Not wasting any time, she followed the signal deep into the woods. She saw something orange and shiny, half-covered by the snow. She picked it up, and her happiness evaporated.

It was the four-star ball --- the one that Goku always thought of as a keepsake from his grandfather.

"Goku…" she murmured aloud, grief consuming her once more. She knelt down in the snow, looking at her reflection the dragon ball.

__

Oh Goku, I'm so sorry, she thought sorrowfully. _I didn't know how much having a family meant to you --- how much **I** meant to you. _

But I promise I'll make things right. I'll never think those horrible things again. Even if you ever leave me to fight again someday, I won't forget that you'll always need me, no matter what.

With a heavy heart, she set down the bloody shawl on the ground as a sort of grave marker. She felt tears well up in her eyes again, yet forced them back. Baba was right… if something ever did happen to her, Goku wouldn't just sit around and do nothing. Besides, if everything could be returned to normal, there wouldn't be any need to mourn.

She rose to her feet with renewed determination. There wasn't a moment to lose. She jumped back onto Nimbus and took off in the air once again.

She never looked back.

***

The only times Chi-Chi had been on a search for the dragon balls was with Goku and Gohan back (before Raddiz came) and Bulma and the others when they wanted to resurrect the people Vegeta killed during the World Martial Arts Tournament. This time, however, she was by herself. 

It was a long, difficult journey for her. Although she could take care of herself and Nimbus provided excellent transportation, the weather grew even colder over the next few days --- except for when she located two of the dragon balls in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the obstacles standing in her way of the dragon balls were wild animals. Since she still knew how to defend herself, this was hardly a problem. She might have received a scratch here or a cut there, but overall, it was no big problem for her.

So despite all the difficulties, she kept going. She never stopped to eat, drink, or rest throughout the entire trek. Her endurance was very high, and if she ever got tired, all she had to think about was her family, and she was instantly revived.

However, it wasn't the weather or the animals that bothered her. It was the loneliness.

What she wouldn't have given to have Goku at her side once more! True, she could have used a little bit of help in finding the dragon balls faster, but she mainly wanted him for company. Although she got irritated with him more than once, not a day passed when he couldn't succeed in making her smile or laugh.

She missed him so much. She missed all of her boys: Goku, Gohan, and Goten… She wished that she hadn't missed Christmas… 

__

He's gone, Chi-Chi kept reminding herself. _They're **all** gone, and they won't come back unless you stop dwelling on this and get the rest of the dragon balls!_

***

Chi-Chi let out a huge sneeze as she climbed a tall tree. _Great, I'm probably coming down with something from being out in the cold for so long, _she thought grimly. Ironically, she had always told Gohan and Goten to spend only an hour outside during the winter, to keep from being sick…

Nearly three days had passed. She was in a snowy forest that was far, far away from Mount Pouzu. She'd retrieved six of the dragon balls, and the last one was in the tree.

She grimaced as she kept climbing each branch. Three days of traveling non-stop had certainly taken its toll on her. She was hungry, cold, exhausted, and her clothes (which she hadn't changed since Christmas Eve) were wearing out. Yet still her determination hadn't wavered in the slightest.

"I have to get the last dragon ball," she muttered, groaning with the effort of pulling herself higher up the tree. "I have to make things right."

She reached out toward the highest branch and grabbed the six-star dragon ball. She smiled wearily. "I made it!" she whispered triumphantly.

She accidentally let go of the branch that was hanging onto, and fell down to the ground. Luckily, she landed in the soft snow, so she wasn't hurt. She lay there for a while, wanting nothing more to just go to sleep right there…

__

No, she told herself firmly. _There isn't any time to rest now. I have to summon Shenron! _

She forced herself to stand. _After this, I'm probably going to be in a coma until next Christmas, _she thought humorlessly. She set all of the dragon balls on the ground. They started to glow.

"By my command… I summon you… Shenron!" she commanded in as strong a voice she could muster.

The sky darkened. The seven balls lit up and came together to form a bright light in the sky. Within moments, Shenron appeared before her.

"You have disturbed my slumber," the dragon boomed. "Name your wish."

"Shenron!" Chi-Chi tried to shout. Her eyelids were becoming dangerously heavy, her knees buckling with fatigue. She was trying to stay awake, but was failing to do so. She was so tired…

"I take it back, I take it all back!" she cried weakly. "Please make everything the way it was before I made my first wish!"

The exhaustion was overwhelming; she collapsed to the ground. Shenron was saying something, but she couldn't make out his words. The only thing she was aware of was the bright light illuminating everything around her. The light made her feel even sleepier.

"Please…" she kept murmuring. "I want to live again… I want to live again!"

And then everything went black.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry, had to leave it there! I have to save some stuff for the next chapter; it's almost over! This fic has been a lot of fun to write so far, and I owe it to the encouragement of you, good reviewers, that it has turned out so well. 140 reviews… I've never gotten so much on any other story before! Thank you! *hugs everybody* I guess this means I'll have to write another G/CC in future… I _do _have a plot bunny… *smiles evilly*

Okay, just two things before I get to the reviews: 

1) I'm not sure if Kami could ever just reenergize the dragon balls before the one-year time period was up. In the DB episode "Eternal Dragon Resurrected", Kami brought back Shenron because he was killed by King Piccolo (I still can't believe King Piccolo could actually do that btw), and made an exception to the one-year waiting rule so that everyone King Piccolo killed could be brought back right away. I figured, if Kami could make that much of an exception then, he could do it in another emergency. I'm sorry if this doesn't fit in along with the rules of the dragon balls, but it was the only solution I could think of.

2) I kind of need some advice concerning Part Nine. You will recall in the beginning that Goku got Chi-Chi a present for Christmas --- the only problem is that I haven't figured out what it was yet. So I'm asking all of you fellow G/CC fans: what do you think would be a good present Goku would give to Chi-Chi for Christmas? Please tell me in your reviews. 

Speaking of which, to your reviews!

Bunny1: The conclusion will be the next chapter.

Kakkabrat: Chi-Chi didn't go to Namek, as you can see from this chapter. I don't think that Porunga could fix a wish that only Shenron granted. The battle with Frieza took place on Christmas Eve?! I don't believe it… weird yet interesting.

SSJ Chika: If it calms your wrath in any way, he'll be back in the next chapter.

Lady Thundera: I've never seen the Japanese versions, so I just go by with what I know from the manga and the English versions. Maybe I should get the Piccolo Jr. saga on DVD sometime. He sounded excited about the marriage in the manga? Hmmm… I must remember to read the next DB graphic novel when it comes out at Barnes and Noble! I responded to the Piccolo question in my review to your story, but technically, Goku did turn around just before the beam hit him. Oh, well…

Jessica C: Trust me, it will all work out. It always does one way or another.

Moon girl 16: Of course Chi-Chi is going to fix it! She wouldn't just leave him dead, you know!

Lady Idril Celebrindal: I updated!

Dark-mean-me: I agree, DBZ was so much better, even though the ending sucked. I personally think that Goten and Trunks should have stuck to fighting rather than becoming girl-crazy guys! Compare at Trunks in GT to Mirai Trunks. Mirai Trunks was so much better since he was a strong fighter just like his father… not that I don't like kid Trunks any less, mind you.

I won't tell: Goku did die before Chi-Chi finally told him that she loved him. Very sad :( You were right, it involved going to Kami to reenergize the dragon balls, then gathering all seven to make the wish.

Vegito: That's why I never see many romance movies anymore. Somebody always ends up dying in the end… it's so depressing.

Lady Athena X: *sighs* Poor Goku. I kind of hated Piccolo a little when he was beating the living crap out of Goku in the World Martial Arts Tournament in DB. I can kind of understand why Chi-Chi didn't want him anywhere near Gohan at the beginning of DBZ. Hey, I'm not the only one who tortures Goku and Chi-Chi in fics. Just look at what Lady Thundera is doing in "The Past Returns"! ;) But yeah, I _am_ being mean to them in this fic, but it must be done. I've learned that the ending is usually happier after a terrible ordeal has passed.

VidelChan313: Bring Goku back? How? Chi-Chi couldn't get to Namek and he's already been wished back once with the earth's dragon balls.

Angel in the Shadows: Great job in analyzing Trunks's character without Goten! You think he's a momma's boy in DBZ? Trunks is the one who usually comes up with ways to get him and Goten in trouble. The only momma's boy I ever saw on DBZ was Gohan when he was a little kid.

Nisha: I hope this chapter answered your question. It would have been happier if Chi-Chi had returned in time, but yes, it wouldn't have been as interesting. It would have been funny to see Goku's reaction if Chi-Chi had told him the truth to begin with. *giggles* I wonder how well he would have taken it…

Goku's mom: Don't let him die? He's already dead!

Elvenjedi: Yes, he will be back. I could never keep him dead!

Psychomaniac: Goku's one of my favorites too. There should be more boys like him… at least in the personality factor, in my humble opinion. *receives weird stars from reviewers* Er… never mind. Anyway, I didn't like killing him off, but it had to be done. Something had to happen to bring Chi-Chi to her senses and see how important she was to Goku. I update every Thursday, at the earliest. LOL! God knows what would happen if my reviewers knew where I lived.

Abigail Marie: Cliffhangers --- you can't stand to read them, but you can't write good fics without them. How to italicize words? Well, I think it only shows up if you type it out on Microsoft Word, and then convert it to HTML. That's how it works for me, but I'm not sure.

Mkh2: I'm sure I'd react the same way if I read a chapter that ended like that.


	9. Part 9

Part Nine

"Daddy?"

Goku tore his gaze away from Christmas tree to see Goten standing in front of him in his pajamas. His eyes were red and puffy as if he'd been crying.

"What is it, Goten?" he asked softly. "Another nightmare?"

"All these horrible things were happening to Momma!" Goten cried. "She was getting attacked by monsters…"

"It's okay," Goku said soothingly. "You know it was just a nightmare…"

"W --- What if it isn't?" Goten sobbed. Goku held out his arms and Goten crawled into his lap, crying. "Something bad could be happening to her --- and it's all my fault! If Trunks and I hadn't got the dragon balls, none of this wouldn't have happened!"

"No, no, don't say that," Goku told him, feeling an icy stab of guilt. "It wasn't your fault…"

"It _was_!" Goten wailed, burying his face into his father's chest. "It was Christmas Eve… I was supposed to come home early, and I didn't!"

__

It was **my** fault, not yours, Goku wanted to say, his heart sinking horribly. He hated to see his youngest son like this, but he couldn't let himself fall apart. He needed to be strong for his family. 

Goku held his son tightly as he continued to cry. "I want my momma!" he kept whimpering every so often.

__

I want her too, Goku thought sadly.

He looked at the Christmas tree, the ornaments illuminated in the dark. Two weeks had passed since Chi-Chi had disappeared, and they still didn't know exactly what had happened to her…

__

Goku had arrived where Shenron was located just as a bright light enveloped everything. He sensed not only Goten and Trunks's kis… but also another one that was fading rapidly.

"MOM! MOM!" Goten was screaming.

"Goten?" Goku called out, shielding his eyes from the light. "Trunks? Chi-Chi? Where are you?"

The light quickly vanished. Shenron let out a mighty roar and separated into the seven dragon balls, which dropped to the ground as mere stones. Goten and Trunks stood nearby, staring the stones in dismay. 

Goku looked around. He couldn't find Chi-Chi anywhere.

He rushed over to the boys. "Goten, what happened?" he asked urgently. "What did you ask Shenron to do?"

"We didn't ask for anything," Trunks explained, looking scared. "We were going to --- and then Goten's mom showed up. We couldn't hear what she was saying…but it must have been a wish."

Goku stared at the stones. "The dragon only granted one wish?"

Trunks nodded.

"That's not right," he muttered. "The dragon was supposed to grant two wishes, not just one… unless the first one was so powerful, he couldn't grant another wish…" 

"**I** know what she wished for!" Goten cried out suddenly. "I could hear her! She said that she wished she was never born!"

"WHAT?" Goku yelled, unable to believe what he had just heard. 

"She wished that she was never born!" Goten burst into tears. "She's gone!"

****

Oh Kami, no! Goku thought, panic-stricken. **It can't be… Shenron never granted a wish like that before! He couldn't have made Chi-Chi vanish off the face of the earth. It's impossible… **

He put two fingers up to his head and searched for Chi-Chi's ki. He couldn't sense it anywhere on the planet.

****

She's not dead, he told himself firmly, although his heart was sinking. **I would have felt it. She has to be around here somewhere… she can't be gone, she just can't be!**

"You two go home," he told the boys, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm going to go look for her, okay?"

Goten shook his head. "But the dragon made her disappear! What if you can't find her?"

"Don't worry, it'll be all right," Goku assured his son. "Just tell your brother what's going on, and I'll be back with your mom soon, okay?"

Goten sniffed, wiping away his tears. "'Kay." He and Trunks flew off to their own respective homes. 

Goku then began searching for his wife. He took off in the air and soared around the woods, calling out her name. He caught sight of something lying in the snow. He flew down and saw that it was Chi-Chi's shawl. He sniffed it, trying to pick up her scent. It was faint, as though she had been gone for hours already.

Fear for his wife consumed him. "Chi-Chi!" he hollered. "Chi-Chi, where are you? Answer me!"

There was no response. **What did Shenron do? **he wondered fearfully.

After searching Mount Pouzu for almost an hour, he then started to fly around the entire world. He was a very fast flier; he go around the planet in less than a day if he flew fast enough. He kept stopping in every village or city, hoping to see her somewhere.

**Please be all right, Chi-Chi, **he kept praying. **Please be around here somewhere… I'm so sorry I wasn't home when I was supposed to be. I'm so sorry…**

He refused to give up searching; she could be injured or lost, and he wasn't going to let her down again. Yet no matter how many times he searched or prayed, there was no sign of her anywhere.

It wasn't until the next morning, after his third flight around the world, that he had to return home and break the news to his sons that their mother was gone.

It was probably the worst Christmas Day the Son family ever had. Goku used his Instant Transmission to go to Namek and gather its dragon balls, but it was all for nothing. Porunga told him that he had no power over a wish that Shenron had granted. Until the earth's dragon balls were reactivated in a year, there was nothing they could do to bring her back.

The Christmas tree (which Goku, Gohan, and Goten had solemnly decorated) remained in the living room long after Christmas. Neither of them had the hearts to throw it out, nor had they bothered to open their presents. They refused to do that until Chi-Chi came back --- _if _she could come back…

A depression cast its shadow over the Son household. Gohan shut himself up every day after he came home from school to study. He insisted that Chi-Chi would have wanted him to keep studying no matter what. Goten couldn't go to sleep every night without having nightmares. And Goku couldn't sleep at all without her.

Never in his life had the Saiyan felt so helpless and guilty. All Chi-Chi had wanted was for the family to be together for Christmas… and he let her down. 

__

It's all my fault, he thought bitterly. _I forgot to give her Christmas present, so I got her one at the last minute, but I get home late. She got so upset that she wished she were never born. And if I hadn't gotten her a present, she would have gotten mad anyway. Kami, can't I do anything right?_

Goku gazed dejectedly at the stones on the table. When he had sensed her death when he was on the Supreme Kai's planet, he went crazy, yet the knowledge that she could be wished back kept him sane. Now, however, there was nothing they could do until the dragon balls were reactivated in a year. 

Tears filled his eyes, and he brushed them away quickly. No, he couldn't cry… Gohan and Goten needed him.

Two weeks had been torture enough, but the thought of a whole year without her made him feel sick. Oh, they could manage without her cooking; Goku could hunt wild animals or fish for meals, and Gohan wasn't too bad of a cook… 

Yet life wouldn't be the same without her. They needed her --- Goku needed her. He didn't think he could stand it if he never saw her laugh, cry, or even yell at him again…

Suddenly, there was an eerie light shining in the darkness. Goku turned around. His jaw dropped.

The stones were now orange balls with red stars marked on them. They were glowing gold.

Ecstatic, Goku leapt from the couch and ran to the foot of the stairs. "Gohan!" he shouted. "_Gohan!_ Come quick!"

Gohan raced down the steps. "What's going on, Dad?" he asked.

At the same time, Goten sat up, blinking bemusedly. "What is it?" he asked. Then he and his brother saw the glowing dragon balls.

For a few seconds, Gohan and Goten could only gape at the sight, a mixture of shock and amazement on their faces. They looked at their father, and the three of them exchanged identical, hopeful smiles.

Without a word, they grabbed the dragon balls, threw on their coats and boots, and ran outside. Goku set the dragon balls on the ground. "Shenron, come out!" he shouted. "We have a wish!"

The night sky went darker than it already was. The glowing balls floated up in the air and came together to form a giant light. Shenron appeared, his red eyes flashing.

__

I hope this works, Goku thought desperately. Aloud, he yelled, "Shenron, we want you to bring back Chi-Chi! Whatever wish she made, undo it!"

There was a brief period of silence, broken by Shenron's low growl. "This I cannot do."

"_What?_" Goku, Gohan, and Goten cried in unison.

"Why not?" Goku demanded.

"I have already granted a second wish," the dragon continued.

"But you were just summoned!" Gohan exclaimed angrily. "How could you have granted a second wish?"

"Please, Mr. Shenron!" Goten begged. "We need her… we want her back!"

Shenron shook his head. "A wish has already been granted," he repeated. "Farewell." 

"NO!" Goku yelled, but it was too late. Shenron disappeared into the seven dragon balls, which turned to stone and shot out in different directions of the earth.

Goku let out a roar of frustration and slammed his fist into a nearby tree. Goten started to cry again. Gohan just stood there, dumbfounded.

"I don't get it," he wondered. "If the dragon already granted a wish, then why did he bother to come back?"

Goku shrugged, staring hard at the ground. If Shenron couldn't grant their wish… did that mean that Chi-Chi was never coming back?

It couldn't be true… she couldn't be gone for good!He loved her. He needed her. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without her, and wasn't interested in finding out…

__

Oh Kami, what am I going to do? he thought miserably.

Just then, he sensed a ki located miles away --- a familiar one. It was very faint at first, but was steadily increasing with each passing moment…

It was impossible. Only an hour ago, he couldn't sense it anywhere on the planet. And now…

"Dad?" Gohan asked, concerned. "Dad, what is it?"

Goten stopped crying. He, too, noticed the eerie way his father was staring off into space. "Daddy?" he asked softly.

Goku didn't answer. He just stood there, hardly daring to believe it.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Gohan inquired worriedly.

"Stay here," Goku replied in a strange voice. "I'll be right back." He placed two fingers to his head, concentrated on the ki, and vanished.

***

The first thing Chi-Chi became aware of was something cold and wet on her face. Snow --- she was lying facedown in the snow. She felt more lightly sprinkling down on her.

_The wish, _she remembered. Her thoughts seemed to be traveling slowly through her tired mind. _Did it work? If it did, I should be home now…but I'm still here._

She knew that the only way to know for sure was to get up, but she continued to lie there. She was still tired from her journey; not a spark of energy remained in her. It would be foolish to get up when she'd probably collapse again.

And if the wish hadn't worked, she didn't have a reason to get up.

All of a sudden, she heard a rush of air nearby. Footsteps rushed towards her.   
"Chi-Chi! Chi-Chi!"

_Leave me alone, _she thought groggily, failing to recognize the voice. _I'm trying to sleep. Just five minutes…_

She felt warm arms pick her up and shake her. "Oh no… Chi-Chi! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Her brain seemed to be working a little bit faster. She knew that voice…

Slowly, Chi-Chi opened her eyes and saw Goku bending over her, looking more concerned than she had ever seen him look in her life. 

"Chi-Chi, thank Kami!" he exclaimed in relief. He helped her up to her feet and hugged her tightly. "I'd thought I'd never see you again!"

Chi-Chi was disoriented. Had the wish been undone, or had Goku been simply revived. She had been on hugging terms with Goku after she had made the wish, after all… 

"How --- How did you get here?" she croaked.

"Instant Transmission," he replied simply. "What happened to you? I couldn't sense you anywhere for two weeks! I knew you weren't dead though, I would have felt it…"

"But _you_ were the one who was dead!" she blurted out.

He pulled away from her, looking baffled. "Well, yeah, I _was_ dead," he said slowly, "but I came back a year ago, you know that…"

"No, I don't mean when you died in the Cell Games!" she said impatiently. "Piccolo killed you!"

"_What?_" Goku asked in disbelief. "Don't be silly, Piccolo didn't kill me! Well, okay, he did back when Raddiz came. Only that was when he was evil! He's good now, remember?"

"No, no he isn't... I saw…" She looked around, still not quite awake. "At least, I thought I saw…"

Everything looked more or less the same after she had made the wish. Yet Goku was alive. He couldn't have returned --- unless…

"Goku, are we married?" Chi-Chi asked at once.

Goku looked at her as though she were crazy. "Did you hit your head or something?" he asked worriedly.

"No, I didn't ---" Chi-Chi started to say, but Goku took no notice of her words and quickly started inspecting her for injuries.

"This all my fault," he said ruefully, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there at Christmas Eve… I didn't mean to make you so upset… especially not upset enough to wish you were never born! You've been gone for two weeks! We've all been worried sick about you…"

"Wait a minute!" Chi-Chi interrupted, narrowing her eyes. "How do you know I made that wish?"

"Goten told me," he replied quietly. "He saw the whole thing…"

"Goten?" she repeated faintly, her heart pounding madly in her chest. "Our _son_, Goten?"

"Um… yes," Goku said uncertainly.

"And Gohan? We have a son named Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked urgently.

Goku stared at her, stunned. "Oh Kami, you lost your memory didn't you?" he muttered. "Don't worry, Chi-Chi, I'll help you get your it back no matter how long it takes. I'm Goku, remember? Your _husband_…"

Chi-Chi let out a happy cry, and threw her arms around Goku with such force that he stumbled backwards into the snow. "It worked!" she squealed. "It worked! I'm back!"

"Back from ---?" Goku started to ask, but Chi-Chi silenced him by pressing her mouth against his. 

This time, he didn't try to move away. Instead, she felt him pulling her closer to him, kissing her back softly, gently. She clung to him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

After what seemed like hours later, they finally broke apart. Goku stared at her, dazed. "So… you aren't mad?" he asked hesitantly.

"About what?" Chi-Chi replied cheerfully. Then she remembered. "Christmas Eve?" She shrugged, surprised to discover that she was no longer upset about the whole thing. "It doesn't matter. It's only the night before Christmas; it's not Christmas Day, after all."

"But we kind of missed that too," Goku admitted, scratching the back of his head. "You were gone for two weeks!"

This, of course, was no surprise to Chi-Chi, since that was the amount of time that passed after she made the wish. She still felt a bit disappointed about missing the first Christmas back with her family, but that didn't matter to her. Christmas was just something that came once a year; all she really wanted was time with her family.

"That's all right, Goku," she said consolingly. "We'll have other Christmases." She embraced him. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! And I'm so sorry… I didn't want to lie to you or hurt you…"

"Whoa, whoa!" Goku laughed, trying to sit up with great difficulty since Chi-Chi was still on top of him. "Chi-Chi, calm down! What are you talking about?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Chi-Chi asked in disbelief.

"Remember what?" Goku asked innocently. "All I remember is that the boys and I were worried sick about you for the past few weeks! We looked everywhere for you… where _were_ you anyway?"

"I never left!" Chi-Chi tried to explain. "I was right here… or at least I _felt_ like I was. But all our friends and family didn't know me at all!"

Goku looked uneasy again. "Maybe you were dreaming," he suggested.

"It wasn't a dream!" Chi-Chi said vehemently. "It was real!" She looked at him incredulously. "Are you telling me that you don't remember any of that?"

Goku shrugged. "I don't think so…"

__

This doesn't make any sense, Chi-Chi thought. _It wasn't in my head; it was real! How could Goku not remember?_

And then hit her: undoing the wish must have modified everyone's memories, since the timeline had been returned to normal. It was as though nothing had happened. Nobody would remember what had happened --- nobody but her.

Perhaps it was for the best that Goku didn't remember. She wasn't ready to admit all of the things that she had done after she had made the wish, even if he would forgive her for them. Also, she didn't think he'd understand that the Eternal Dragon created the memories he had of the past to weeks. If roles had been reversed, she wouldn't be able to understand either. A memory, like time, is a thing that shouldn't be meddled with.

"Well, never mind that, Goku," she said firmly. "It's over now, and that's all that matters."

Goku nodded, understanding. "I'm just glad to have you back," he said softly, holding her close.

Chi-Chi smiled, feeling safe and warm in his arms. "I'm glad to _be_ back," she replied, leaning forward to kiss him again.

***

_What's keeping him so long? _Gohan wondered restlessly, shivering in the cold.

A great deal of time had passed since Goku had vanished. Gohan knew his dad was more than capable of taking care of himself. Still, he and Goten were getting worried.

"What if he disappeared too?" Goten whimpered.

"No, Dad wouldn't do that," Gohan said, trying to comfort his little brother. "He'll be back…"

"And what about Mom?" Goten went on tearfully. "She's never gonna come back… and it's my fault!"

"Don't say that," Gohan said, patting Goten's shoulder reassuringly. "We can't give up!"

"But Shenron can't bring her back, who can?" Goten wailed.

__

What if he's right? Gohan thought, feeling an icy surge of guilt. Ever since his mother disappeared, he'd felt awful for deserting her on Christmas Eve. He knew that going to Videl's party rather than spending time with his family hurt her, but he never thought she'd let the dragon make her vanish. 

If he had known what was going to happen, he would have stayed home for Christmas Eve. Girlfriends would come and go, but family was forever…

What if she was never coming back? In spite of her overprotective nature and her frequent nagging, he loved her. She had always taken care of the family. She had been there when his father could not be. He couldn't imagine graduating or even having a family of his own without her to see it…

There was a rush of air behind them. Gohan and Goten turned around to see their father… and leaning onto his arm, looking tired but very happy was ---

"MOM!" Gohan and Goten exclaimed, rushing to their mother.

"Oh my boys, I've missed you!" she cried, hugging them both.

"Mom, I'm so sorry for not being there on Christmas Eve," Goten said regretfully. "I didn't mean to make you so upset. You were right, this was supposed to be our first Christmas all together, and I messed it up…"

"Me too," Goten said, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Momma… you aren't gonna leave us again, are you?"

"No, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere," Chi-Chi said soothingly. "And don't worry, we can always make next Christmas special…"

"Why do we have to wait until then?" Goku inquired.

Gohan, Goten, and Chi-Chi stared at him dubiously.

"Well, who says that you have to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day?" he asked. 

"Because that's when Christmas usually is, dear," Chi-Chi reminded him.

"So?" Goku replied carelessly. "Gohan, don't we still have the Christmas tree up?"

Gohan caught the glint in his father's eye and smiled, getting the hint. "Yeah, we do," he said slowly. He turned to his brother. "And we haven't opened our presents yet, have we, Goten?"

Goten grinned cheerfully. "Nope!"

"Then why not have our Christmas now?" Goku asked brightly. "It doesn't matter what day it is as long as the family is together."

***

So they did have their own little Christmas. Chi-Chi made hot cocoa for the family as they sat under the tree and opened presents, like they'd normally do on Christmas morning. Mostly, they just enjoyed being together as a family.

Chi-Chi was moved by all of this. She never thought that the boys would refuse to have Christmas without her around. It made her feel like a heel for thinking that they didn't need her anymore. They may be growing up, but they'd never grow out of _her_…

It turned out to be the special Christmas that Chi-Chi had wanted --- even if it was belated. The best part, however, had to be when Gohan and Goten went to bed… and she and Goku were curled up on the couch, just watching the Christmas tree. It was also something that they had done every Christmas night --- when he was alive or at home.

_Grandpa Gohan was right, _she thought, snuggling up to Goku. _I do have a good life. It's hard sometimes… but I wouldn't change it for the world._

And speaking of Grandpa Gohan…

Chi-Chi sat up, seeing a shadow looking in through the window. "Goku, look!" she exclaimed, pointing.

"What?" Goku asked sleepily. He glanced at the window. "There's nobody there."

"Didn't you see him? He was right there…" Chi-Chi froze. The shadow had vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

_Just as well, _she thought exasperatedly.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Goku said, slapping his forehead. He gently pushed Chi-Chi off him and went to the tree. "I wanted to wait until we were alone to give this to you."

"Hey, I was just getting comfortable!" she pouted teasingly.

He dug out a small, wrapped package with a bow attached to it. "I know it isn't much," he said apologetically, "but I wasn't really sure what to get you --- and I kind of waited until the last minute. That's why I wasn't home on Christmas Eve," he admitted.

He handed the present to her rather shyly. "Merry Christmas, Chi-Chi."

"Oh Goku, you didn't need to get me anything…" she started to say, but fell silent as she opened it.

It was a framed photograph of the entire family at the beach. They had gone there as a family outing shortly after Goku had been restored to life. The picture frame was decorated with varieties of seashells.

"This was one of the first pictures we had of, you know, all four of us," Goku said softly. "And I thought you'd might like a nice frame for it… so I went to the beach and collected the seashells to make it look nice."

"You _made_ this?" Chi-Chi asked, astonished. "For me?"

"Of course I did," Goku replied, smiling. "I love you."

She felt her insides melt at his words. "I love you too," she murmured, embracing him. "And this present is… it's wonderful. You still didn't need to get me anything though; I already got my gift."

Goku was confused. "Really? What was it?"

Playfully, Chi-Chi tore the bow off the wrapping paper and stuck it in the middle of Goku's head. "You're home for Christmas," she replied simply. "Well --- sort of. That's all I ever wanted."

Goku laughed, trying to take the bow off. "What would I do without you?"

The End.

A/N: This was a lot of fun to write, and I'd like to thank everybody who read and reviewed. I'd also like to thank everyone who sent in suggestions of what Goku would give Chi-Chi for Christmas. A lot of the reviewers all suggested something along the lines of family photos, but I liked Kinosei's idea of a picture with a picture frame the best… actually, she said she read something along the lines of it in one of Lady Thundera's fics. If this is true, I also give her credit for that idea. Incidentally, does anyone know which story that was in? Because I've read all of her fics at least once, and I don't remember anything like that…

I hope to see some of you R/R my next G/CC fic. It may take me a while to actually post it, since I'm still fine-tuning the plot… And now, the reviews:

Kinosei: Thanks for your idea! I hope this ending wasn't too mushy. As sentimental as I am growing, I still urge to gag at things that are so sappy, it's sickening. It takes me a week to finish chapters, so I don't wait long to update after I'm finished. If you think I tortured Goku in this fic, you may not like what happens to him in the one I'm working on. *cackles*

VidelChan313: It took Chi-Chi three days to find the dragon balls.

Angel in the Shadows: Trunks is hot:) My parents would be the exact same way if I mentioned DBZ to them. My brother and I watch the show, but my brother is a boy; he only watches it for the action and humor. I do to, but you know what I mean… As I mentioned, I am planning another G/CC fic.

You may know me: Just because the wish was an accident doesn't mean that Chi-Chi shouldn't feel responsible about it. Anybody would. And as for your other comment, I think you missed the whole point of the story. Yes, Gohan and Goten impacted a lot, but Chi-Chi did make a difference on her own. Goku wouldn't have a family without her, and her father would have been completely bad. She didn't necessarily cause his death; as Mirai Trunks demonstrated in the Android saga, a minor change in the past can change a lot in the future.

SSJ Chika: A baby?! That would take too much time! LOL! 

Landamo: Was that a quote from _It's a Wonderful Life_?

Lady Thundera: I guess anybody can die in DBZ. I was more surprised to find out that Roshi could be so serious in the King Piccolo saga. Baba needed to piss Chi-Chi off… it got her going, didn't it? LOL! Incidentally, why did you want to e-mail me? And which of those stories was Kinosei talking about?

Pu-chan: Okay that's a little too complex for me.

ChiChiko: Thank you!

Lady Idril Celebrindal: Thank you! And another reviewer, Kaye told me to tell you that she's a big LOTR fan too and loves your name.

I won't tell: Yes, Goku wouldn't do anything fancy; he'd do something sweet, simple, and from the heart. His present fit those qualifications very well, don't you think? 

Me: I said earlier that some of the lines were a reference to _Finding Nemo_.

Dark-mean-me: I updated!

Moongirl16: It was the last cliffhanger.

Dopey: Very observant! ;) Your idea was sweet, but as you said, that would be kind of OOC. Goku wouldn't do anything that fancy.

Goku's mom: Thank you!

Lady Athena X: Goku is back, thank God, and everything worked out just fine, if I do say so myself.

Sakura123: Technically, it's the fourth time, since he died in the battle of the Saiyans in the changed timeline.

Meca-chan: Thank you!

La Suka: Thank you!

Abigail Marie: I will write another. The card idea is sweet, but not what I was looking for. Thanks anyway!

Jessica C: It started two weeks later. It would be too mushy if it started right back at Christmas Eve. Chi-Chi didn't get a ride on Nimbus, but she did get to hold Goku and be close to him. Who wouldn't want to? LOL!

Sadako-Tokumei-Kibou: Goku and Chi-Chi are back together again. Now let's hope our good friend Lady Thundera does the same, if you know what I mean. *winks*

Radar Phia: You wished that Chi-Chi had died instead? I wouldn't say that to most of the people who reviewed this story…

Kaye: I had two snow days this week too! Snow days rock! I did what you asked and told Lady Idril.

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